How does the culture within prison settings influence nurses’ provision of person-centred care?

Abstract

Background Despite recent changes in commissioning for prisoner healthcare in the United Kingdom, the dichotomy between the culture of custody and the culture of care is still a prevalent issue within custodial contexts as priorities still centre around security. There is a paucity of research however, on the influence of these custodial cultures on nurses’ provision of person-centred care. A recent literature review indicates the need for further research. Aims To develop an understanding of the influence of cultural factors on nurses’ ability to provide person-centred care within custodial settings and to reveal tacit knowledge on the culture of prison nursing which would otherwise go unnoticed. Methods A critical ethnographic design will be adopted with 6-9 months of fieldwork focusing on participant observation and informal conversations embedded in person-centred relationships. Data collection and analysis will be an ongoing process until data saturation is achieved. Participants will be invited to contribute to the analysis. Conclusion The findings of this study could enhance the visibility of person-centred practice within prison nursing and enable more favourable connections between prison and NHS nursing. Findings may also contribute to enhancing our understanding of person-centredness in this context. Keywords: Culture; Prisoner; Nursing; Prison Nursing; Person-Centred Care; Critical Ethnography.