Frå sjukdomsfokus til helsefokus i sjukepleien?

Abstract

In nursing profession the main concepts for the last twenty years have been: health - nursing - environment - person. I ask the question why has not illness been one of the main concepts. This leed to the following approach: Has there been a displace of focus from illness to health in nursing education in Norway? I have analysed five main textbooks used in nursing education from 1920 to 1990. The analysis are focused on the development of the consepts illness and health, and if the contents and the use of the concepts have changed throu the time periode. The findings shows that the concept illness has been reduced both qualitativly and quantitativly from 1920 to 1990, while the health concept has become more and more dominating. In the discussion I show some of the causes why. The health consept was all the time understood as both a subjetive experience and objective signs, while illness was reduced too diagnosis and objektive signs of illness from 1920 to 1990. I claim that illness, seen as both a subjektive and an objektive concept is important in nursing profession, and that use of concepts is important for nursing identity.