Research

Where angels fear to tread - inaugural lecture from Professor Shirley Bach

Published 14 March 2013

Event 24 April 2013

The public's image of "angelic" caring nurses will be aired by Shirley Bach, the University of Brighton's Professor of Nursing Education at her inaugural lecture.

"Where angels fear to tread" follows on from a call by Jane Cummings, chief nursing officer for England, for more emphasis on nurses providing compassionate care in hospitals.

Professor Bach, head of the university's School of Nursing and Midwifery, will be discussing the concept of caring. This will form part of a discussion on the
development of nursing as an academic discipline, which has become a debatable issue.

She said: "For a subject to be defined as a discipline several different aspects need to be present: a set of values and beliefs, specific knowledge domains, traditions, methods of enquiry and a scholarly community.

"Nursing has, in recent years, attempted to define its unique characteristics that are not related to traditional academic disciplines, or borrowed from biology, psychology and sociology, and to be considered as an academic discipline its own right.

"Yet, nursing is also considered to be a profession. Deemed to be vocational, practice orientated, supported by professional bodies and regulations with specialised education or training, it is a profession that shares a collectivity that is service-orientated and focused on maintaining optimum health and quality of life."

In her lecture, Professor Bach will explore the position of nursing as an academic discipline. She will consider a specific development in the theoretical maturity of nursing knowledge and discuss the concept of caring.

Professor Bach said nurses, ever in the public eye, are often perceived as caring angels. Her lecture will explore "the angelic phenomenon of caring and discover if nurses rush in where even angels fear to tread".

Professor Shirley Bach inaugural lecture

Where angels fear to tread

Shirley Bach
Professor of Nursing Education
Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery

Wednesday 24 April 2013 at 6.30pm

Westlain House Lecture Theatre
University of Brighton
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9PH

Light refreshments will be served after the lecture. All welcome.

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