title: Unethical conduct by the nurse: a critical discourse analysis of Nurses Tribunal inquiries.
abstract: The aim of this study was to uncover and critically examine hidden assumptions that underpin the findings of nurses' unethical conduct arising from inquiries conducted by the Nurses Tribunal in New South Wales. This was a qualitative study located within a post-structural theoretical framework. Transcripts of five inquiries conducted between 1998 and 2003 were analysed using critical discourse analysis. The findings revealed two dominant discourses that were drawn upon in the inquiries to construct nurses' conduct as unethical. These were discourses of trust and accountability. The way the nurses were spoken about during the inquiries was shaped by normalising judgements that were used to discursively position the nurse through narrative.
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. k.dixon@uws.edu.au
authors: Kathleen A
authors: KA
authors: Dixon
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003657:Decision Making; D004647:Employee Discipline; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D028663:Ethical Theory; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005104:Expert Testimony; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009517:New South Wales; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000941:ethics; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011209:Power, Psychological; D028743:Professional Misconduct / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust
keywords: Critical discourse analysis; Nurses Tribunal; nursing; post-structuralism; unethical conduct