ABSTRACT
In this chapter I introduce the ward nurses and examine the ways in which they organized and negotiated their work. As we saw in Chapter 1, the discourses of professionalism and managerialism both had implications for the intra-occupational division of labour. Project 2000 was, amongst other things, an attempt to instigate profound changes to the organization of nursing practice. Founded on a philosophy of holism, it advocated a shift away from the old system of hierarchical task allocation and a reintegration of all caring work into the clinical nursing role. Under this new method of work organization, the caring division of labour is centred on a close interpersonal relationship between nurse and patient. Emphasis is also given to practitioner autonomy and accountability for patient care.
