Somological

EmergencyNrse · Oct 4, 2011

I have no clue...

roser13, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2011

It's easy to Google! I've never heard of it either.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2011

somology refers to study of the caring of the body, e.g., in [color=#0645ad]nursing

"when nurses deal with the bodies of other people they operate from a knowledge base which is interpretive, contextual, and integrative of object and subject - it is what i have called a sociological approach. it is the sort of knowledge that comes from practical professional experience. i wanted to tap that professional knowledge in order to build an understanding of the body and society."

http://artistresearcher.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/jocalyn-lawler-behind-the-screens-nursing-somology-and-the-problem-of-the-body-1991/

"this is an exploration of attitudes to nursing which explores why nurses' work is belittled and taken for granted by the majority of other professions, if not by patients themselves. this is a sociological analysis of the substance of nursing by a nurse who has spent many years in the australian nursing service. the author explains why, in her view, nursing and nurses are frequently taken for granted. moving on from obvious perceptions of nursing as "woman's work" or "dirty work", she focuses on the idea that nursing is people's experience of embodied existence. it is a positive approach which instills the reader with a respect for nurses and their discipline.

http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/2391/1/frontmatter-behind-the-screens.pdf

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/506842

many nurses take privacy seriously at an individual level, nursing as an activity is at its most effective when it maximises the opposite of privacy, namely surveillance. this physical dimension is emphasized in what lawler (1991) termed a 'somological' (focused on the body) approach. in her influential study privacy "means all of the following, either individually or in combination - a lack of audience, no unnecessary exposure of the body, minimizing the possibility of embarrassment, maintaining a person's dignity, and an aspect of personhood"

i had no clue!!! i had never heard of it.........sounds like a bunch of psycho babble bulls#!^ and one person's opinion about nursing, how we are viewed as nurses and maintenance of privacy in the medical world of voyeurism. :uhoh3: although it was easy to google.......enjoy the links.

http://tinyurl.com/3mvupqu

welcome to hell!!! :devil:

:hug:just kidding good luck in school.....

EmergencyNrse · Oct 5, 2011

My guess was going to be SOMA-ology.

The study of people addicted to Soma.

... or the study of people in a Soma-coma.

(The ER people get it)

Cul2 · Oct 6, 2011

I find it both incredible and disheartening that so few American nurses seem (Notice I said "seem." If I'm wrong, I stand corrected.) to be aware of Lawler's work and her book, Behind the Screens: Nursing, Somology, and the Problem of the Body. It is certainly not "a bunch of psycho babble bulls..." and it's delving into history, psychology, sociology, and philosophy of how we view our bodies, shame, embarrassment, modesty, etc. is well worth considering. Before tossing it aside so eagerly, try reading it.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2011

I find it both incredible and disheartening that so few American nurses seem (Notice I said "seem." If I'm wrong, I stand corrected.) to be aware of Lawler's work and her book, Behind the Screens: Nursing, Somology, and the Problem of the Body. It is certainly not "a bunch of psycho babble bulls..." and it's delving into history, psychology, sociology, and philosophy of how we view our bodies, shame, embarrassment, modesty, etc. is well worth considering. Before tossing it aside so eagerly, try reading it.

It is usually advisable to never ass u me anything. :smokin: I read the book after this thread was started. I was a nurse for 15 years when she wrote her book so it wasn't apart of my curriculum. It's the same concept that many before her has discussed, at length, in many books, many times over...... but with a different title and catch phrase, dating all the way back to the theories of Freud. Placing a new catch phrase on an old concept, published a book and made money.......Kudos for her. (absolutely no sarcasm or meanness infered nor intended)

It remains however my individual opinion that it remains "a bunch of psycho babble bull#%!^". placing a name to what should be utilizing common sense,courtesy and empathy for the patient in maintaining their modesty and privacy.....and before anyone else says it.......I know what they say about opinions.

Thank you for your thoughts.....