ABSTRACT
The focus of this chapter is the ‘meso’ (Tones and Tilford 2001: 9) patient population perspective of the nurse as strategic practitioner. As can be seen in Figure 5.1, it is a top-down, expert-directed form of intervention. Although mirroring the high nurse control of the nurse as behaviour change agent (Chapter 6), the nurse as strategic practitioner is not about individual patient-focused nurse-patient interaction on health-related behaviours or simply disease prevention. It is also not concerned with individual patient-focused nurse intervention to enhance personal control, autonomy or self-esteem or with empowering communities. The modus operandi of this model of health promotion is strategic, organisational and policy-based and thus focused on indirect intervention for health gain with associated sociopolitical values.
