what is parson's concept of sick role?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2007

That has to do with how people believe they are to behave when they are sick. Some cultures have defined way(s) that sick people are supposed to behave. For example, it is classic in our American culture for the sick person to assume a helpless position and allow others to care for them. They stay home from work, go to bed and rest. They will tell you about all of their symptoms, every last one of them. Their family and friends are expected to become nurturing and treat them special, make food for them and be sympathetic to them. When they go into the healthcare system they look to the doctors as specialists who know best and they are supposed to follow the instructions they are given by the doctor.

It's relevance to nursing practice is that when you are providing nursing care to a patient, you are also dealing with their psychological behavior. When I, an American, see another American patient lying in a bed acting helpless, telling me about every ache and pain they are experiencing, waiting for water to be poured for them, expected to have things brought to them, I have to be sure to assess them carefully so that I am determining the patient's problems correctly. Is the patient acting weak because they are indeed weak and fatigued? Are they not getting up out of bed because they believe that since they are sick things will be brought to them or do they have a physical impairment that restricts their ability to move around and walk? What part of their behavior am I observing that is the "sick role" and what part is actual problems due to their illness? So, from that viewpoint, I would say that it is relevant that I need to be aware of what behaviors my culture believes are OK for a sick person to display when they are sick that don't necessarily have anything to do with the actual symptoms of their medical condition.

Now, you live in a different culture than I do. I am not familiar with the behavior that is expected or allowed of a person who is ill in your society. But, you will need to know this for the very same reasons that I need to know them for the persons in my society.

Hope that helps explain it for you.