The experience of the female nurse who is a patient: powerless or in control?

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to explore the experience of the female nurse as patient, focusing on the power relations between the female nurse-patient and the female nurse providing care. A critical approach informed the interviews with six registered nurses regarding their hospitalised experiences, and why they chose to disclose or withhold their professional occupation. Thematic and deconstructive analysis revealed the subjugation and marginalisation of these nurse-patients, suggesting that nurses do not always view nurse-patients as individuals requiring holistic care, as well as the need for a more balanced sharing of power between these two groups.