“Me Too”: Epistemic Injustice and the Struggle for Recognition

Congdon (2017), Giladi (2018), and McConkey (2004) challenge feminist epistemologists and recognition theorists to come together to analyze epistemic injustice. I take up this challenge by highlighting the failure of recognition in cases of testimonial and hermeneutical injustice experienced by victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. I offer the #MeToo movement as a case study to demonstrate how the process of mutual recognition makes visible and helps overcome the epistemic injustice suffered by victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. I argue that in declaring “me too,” the epistemic subject emerges in the context of a polyphonic symphony of victims claiming their status as agents who are able to make sense of their own social experiences and able to convey their knowledge to others

I want it all and I want it now. Challenging the traditional nursing academic paradigm

A recent Twitter chat facilitated by the @NurseEducToday socialmedia team provoked a particularly strong reaction among a range of contributors. The focus of the discussion – expectations of the nurse academic – resulted in a high level of engagement from several participants who clearly held strong views, which were surprisingly polarised. Here we explore aspects of this polarization; and what it might mean for nurses working in academia. Our aim is to reflect on what this dialogue might tell us about current thinking in the profession, specifically around how nurse academics see themselves, what they expect from self and others, and what they are prepared to do to meet these,often, self-generated expectations

Older People and COVID-19 isolation, risk and ageism

Internationally, health authorities and governments are warning older people that they are at a higher risk of more serious and possible fatal illness associated with COVID‐19. Mortality data from Oxford COVID‐19 Evidence Service (25/3/20) indicate a risk of mortality of 3.6% for people in their 60s, which increases to 8.0% and 14.8% for people in their 70s and over 80s. Therefore, the global recommendation for older populations includes social isolation, which involves staying at home and avoiding contact with other people, possibly for an extended period of time, currently estimated to be between three and four months

Challenges and Reflections from an International, Humanitarian, Short-term Surgical Mission on Collecting Ethnographic Data in a Remote Environment

Background The experiences of nurses participating in ethnographic fieldwork have been well documented, but often feature short-term, intermittent periods in the field of less than a day. Aim To provide an overview of methodological issues related to collecting data while undertaking a focused ethnography of nurses volunteering with a humanitarian organisation providing surgical care in a remote setting. Discussion Particular challenges during the fieldwork included limited space and privacy influencing data collection and secure storage; sporadic and unreliable communications limiting contact with other members of the research team; the challenges of withdrawing from the intensity of the setting; and navigating blurred boundaries between the roles of clinician and researcher. Conclusion Social research in practice, despite the best of intentions and significant planning, may not always travel the expected path of rational enquiry

Sailing through Ethnographic Data Collection (*on a hospital ship)

This is a reflection on the experiences of data collection by the researcher positioned as a participant observer whilst conducting an ethnographic study of nurses volunteering in an international humanitarian context on a hospital ship

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme on infant HIV measured at six weeks postpartum in South Africa

Aims and Objectives: The overall aim of this evaluation was to conduct a national facility-based survey to monitor the effectiveness of the South African National PMTCT programme. The primary objective was to measure rates of early MTCT of HIV at six weeks postpartum. The secondary objective was to periodically estimate coverage of key PMTCT interventions and services (e.g., HIV testing, CD4 cell count testing, infant antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis, infant feeding counselling).South African Medical Research Council, National Department of Health South Africa and PEPFAR/US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, UNICE