Is nursing becoming a disembodied profession?

Abstract

The first paper I ever presented was entitled ‘Is nursing throwing the patient out with the bath water?’. In it I voiced my concern at the way nursing was distancing itself from the physical aspects of caring in favour of the psychosocial. I argued that this was a retrograde step as the physical components of the nursing role provide the vehicle for delivering holistic care. I used the example of bathing to illustrate how a ‘simple’ activity is, in fact, a multifaceted and highly skilled undertaking that serves both cleaning and social and therapeutic functions. Moreover, as a result of the intimate nature of the task, bathing affords a legitimate opportunity not only to discuss patients' concerns and fears but also to assess their physical condition.