Thoughtful Health Care
Ethical Awareness and Reflective Practice
First Edition
- David Seedhouse - Aston University, UK
July 2017 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Thoughtful Health Care offers a timely antidote to a climate dominated by endless rules, regulations, mission statements, and codes of practice.
Fixation on avoiding risk at all costs has created a checkbox culture where everyone is treated according to standardized plans. Yet, people are complicated, and cannot be understood disconnected from the complex histories, values, and environments that shape us. Obsessive focus on "safety first" has obscured this reality and drastically undervalued critical thinking and insightful practice.
David Seedhouse explains how simplistic labeling, mindless targets and empty slogans have created a delusion of control and efficiency, obscuring actual patient and carer realities. Using thought-provoking examples from health care and beyond, the book advocates the restoration of thoughtfulness, creativity, and independence in health work. By reading this book, students and practitioners alike will be aided in developing their decision making and critical thinking skills, and ultimately serve those in their care better and with more honesty. The book ends with a powerful and practical toolkit that can be used thoughtfully and effectively by every open-minded health worker.
Thoughtful Health Care is for any health worker committed to caring with ethical awareness and practical sensitivity.
Fixation on avoiding risk at all costs has created a checkbox culture where everyone is treated according to standardized plans. Yet, people are complicated, and cannot be understood disconnected from the complex histories, values, and environments that shape us. Obsessive focus on "safety first" has obscured this reality and drastically undervalued critical thinking and insightful practice.
David Seedhouse explains how simplistic labeling, mindless targets and empty slogans have created a delusion of control and efficiency, obscuring actual patient and carer realities. Using thought-provoking examples from health care and beyond, the book advocates the restoration of thoughtfulness, creativity, and independence in health work. By reading this book, students and practitioners alike will be aided in developing their decision making and critical thinking skills, and ultimately serve those in their care better and with more honesty. The book ends with a powerful and practical toolkit that can be used thoughtfully and effectively by every open-minded health worker.
Thoughtful Health Care is for any health worker committed to caring with ethical awareness and practical sensitivity.
Chapter 1: The Values Delusion
Chapter 2: Labels
Chapter 3: Creating Reality
Chapter 4: Odyssey
Chapter 5: Purpose
Chapter 6: Ethics is Everywhere
Chapter 7: The Delusion Detector
Chapter 8: The Toolkit
This book really links the subjects of reflection and ethics in order for the student to consider them together.The format is clear and interesting to read with useful chapter summaries and reflective activities.
Faculty of Health & Social Care, Hull University
February 9, 2018