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Clinical autonomy and contractual space *
Author(s) -
Cash Keith
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
nursing philosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.367
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1466-769X
pISSN - 1466-7681
DOI - 10.1046/j.1466-769x.2001.00043.x
Subject(s) - autonomy , space (punctuation) , phenomenon , sociology , psychology , social psychology , epistemology , political science , law , computer science , philosophy , operating system
This paper investigates the idea of clinical autonomy. Whilst there is a considerable literature on moral autonomy there is very little on clinical autonomy except as a sociological phenomenon. Using the results of interviews with Community Psychiatric Nurses in England, the three main theories that they have about clinical autonomy are examined. It is argued that there are substantial problems with these theories and an alternative way of understanding clinical autonomy is proposed, the idea of contractual space.