ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 introduces concepts from Buddhist thought to give new ways of thinking about nursing, with examples taken from mental health nursing. Buddhism in the modern West is put into context, as appearing rapidly and being influenced by Western preoccupations and needs. Nursing is one area where there are obvious affinities with elements in Buddhist tradition: these include a focus on suffering, how to respond with compassion, the importance of permanent practice, and interdependence. The rest of the chapter contains a series of short discussions of interdependence, as it has relevance to nursing. One looks at the mingled histories and influences that are manifested in mental health nursing practice; the second is about how stories are a way in which we make sense of ourselves, despite being made up of different, changing elements. Next, labels in mental health are shown to be a form of story-telling that is limiting because it closes down possibilities for change; boundaries in mental health nursing are then reconsidered as more varied and dynamic than is often assumed; finally, holistic nursing is critically reassessed, arguing that interdependence is a more productive way to look at nursing.
