1 Sociology and Nursing and Their Relationship

SOCIOLOGY AND NURSING

SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the study of human social behavior and its origins, development,
organizations, and institutions.
It is a social science which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical
analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social actions, social
structure and functions.
goal for many sociologists is to conduct research which may be applied directly
to social policy and welfare, while others focus primarily on refining the theoretical
understanding of social processes.
Sub!ect matter ranges from the micro level of individual agency and interaction to
the macro level of systems and the social structure.
The traditional focuses of sociology include social stratification, social class, social
mobility, religion, secularization, law, and deviance.
s all spheres of human activity are affected by the interplay between social structure and
individual agency, sociology has gradually e"panded its focus to further sub!ects, such
as health, medical, military and penal institutions, the Internet, and the role of social
activity in the development of scientific knowledge.
The range of social scientific methods has also e"panded. Social researchers draw upon a
variety of #ualitative and #uantitative techni#ues.
The linguistic and cultural turns of the mid$twentieth century led to
increasingly interpretative, hermeneutic, and philosophic approaches to the analysis of
society. %onversely, recent decades have seen the rise of
new analytically, mathematically and computationally rigorous techni#ues, such as agent$
based modeling and social network analysis.

AREAS OF SOCIOLOGY
Social organization is the study of the various institutions, social groups, social
stratification, social mobility, bureaucracy, ethnic groups and relations, and other similar
sub!ects such as education, politics, religion, economy and so forth.
Social psychology is the study of human nature as an outcome of group life, social
attitudes, collective behavior, and personality formation. It deals with group life and the
individual&s traits, attitudes, beliefs as influenced by group life, and it views man with
reference to group life.
Social change and disorganization is the study of the change in culture and social
relations and the disruption that may occur in society, and it deals with the study of such
current problems in society such as !uvenile delin#uency, criminality, drug addiction,
family conflicts, divorce, population problems, and other similar sub!ects.
2 Sociology and Nursing and Their Relationship
!"an ecology deals with the nature and behavior of a given population and its
relationships to the group&s present social institutions. 'or instance, studies of this kind
have shown the prevalence of mental illness, criminality, delin#uencies, prostitution, and
drug addiction in urban centers and other highly developed places.
#op!lation or de"ography is the study of population number, composition, change, and
#uality as they influence the economic, political, and social system.
Sociological theory and "ethod is concerned with the applicability and usefulness of
the principles and theories of group life as bases for the regulation of man&s environment,
and includes theory building and testing as bases for the prediction and control of man&s
social environment.
Applied sociology utilizes the findings of pure sociological research in various fields
such as criminology, social work, community development, education, industrial
relations, marriage, ethnic relations, family counseling, and other aspects and problems of
daily life.
NURSING
N!rsing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals,
families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health
and #uality of life.
Nurses may be differentiated from other health care providers by their approach to patient
care, training, and scope of practice. Nurses practice in a wide diversity of practice
areas with a different scope of practice and level of prescriber authority in each. (any
nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has
come to shape the historic public image of nurses as care providers. )owever, nurses are
permitted by most !urisdictions to practice independently in a variety of settings
depending on training level. In the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a
process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the
traditional regulations and provider roles are changing
$A% IS %E CONNEC%ION &E%$EEN SOCIOLOGY AND NURSING'
The connection between sociology and nursing covers a few key factors that help nurses
integrate key sociological theories into their practice. *ne of the most important sub!ect
matters to directly impact the topic is an understanding of the difference between
sociology in nursing and the sociology of nursing.
fter gaining an understanding of the difference in the two topics, the symbolic
relationship between the disciplines is geared toward the application of sociology to
nursing theory and practice. This relationship centers on developing skills that better
enable nurses to deliver nursing care to patients, taking into account sociological forces
that inherently affect patient care and recovery as well as for nurses delivering such care.
3 Sociology and Nursing and Their Relationship
*ther key factors that connect sociology and nursing include providing a more robust
framework for conducting nursing research and gaining a better understanding of the
nursing field itself, particularly its role in healthcare.
Sociology of nursing focuses on the sociological factors that evolve from the practice of
nursing. Such topics may include a nurse+s occupational concerns or turnover problems,
which are commonly characteristic in the field or nursing.
Rather, the focus is on the sociological attributes of nursing itself, while sociology in
nursing focuses on the application of sociology tools and theories to nursing practice and
research.
,hile the two topics have a different focus, both form a crucial relationship with nursing,
aimed at better enabling nurses to provide better patient care.
pplication is re#uired to solidify this relationship, since sociology is of little or no use to
nursing if the key findings are not further researched and then applied.
Research framework for sociology and nursing provides the first key link between the
two disciplines. -efining sociology usually begins with an attempt to understand the
social factors that affect a particular topic, or human social interactions at large.
Thus, nursing itself takes place with a range of social interactions between nurses and
patients and between nurses and other healthcare participants as well as between nurses
and those outside the healthcare system who may have a stake in health$related outcomes,
such as the relatives of a patient.
pplying sociological research methods to nursing research and integrating sound
sociological principles with nursing theory, can help researchers better understand
relevant factors that impact nursing care.
'or e"ample, better understanding how culture impacts a patient+s healthcare e"perience
may help nurses better understand how to speed recovery, leading to the application of
sociology and nursing.
pplication of sociological principles and findings within the field of nursing . and in
the practice of nursing . is the most obvious connection between the two disciplines.
Nurses who have a solid understanding of sociology in nursing theory are often in a
better position to understand the needs of their patients and how to best accommodate
those needs from a social perspective.
*n the other hand, nursing administrators who have a good grasp in the sociology of
nursing are better e#uipped to attend to factors that impact staff moral and the efficient
allocation of nursing staff.
4 Sociology and Nursing and Their Relationship
$A% IS %E RELE(ANCE OF S%UDYING SOCIOLOGY IN NURSING'
The main relevance of studying sociology in nursing is to understand human nature. /y
understand the patient&s customs and personal ideals, nurses are able to understand the
concerns of their patient. This also helps them carry out their duties as a nurse in a way
that will both benefit them and the patient.
I)#OR%ANCE OF SOCIOLOGY IN NURSING
It is necessary for a nurse to have knowledge of sociology, so that )e0She can learn and
understand the human nature society and social institution. )e0She can be a good and
successful nurse, when she0he knows )er0him Surrounding and know how to deal with
people individually and in groups.
The nurse is a first person who deals with the patients in emergency. If a nurse has
knowledge of sociology and she0he will help her in dealing her patients in emergencies,
who are usually under stress and shock. She0he will take prompt decision, and tackling
them.
trained nurse can help patients who are irritated during illness psychologically and help
them to get over and recovery from illness.
nurse who has knowledge about rituals and customs of different peoples can handle
patients who are superstitious have to take medicines and they believe more in which
doctors and #uacks.
s our country biggest drawbacks is illiteracy. nurse can educate people about clean
less, balance diet and also guide mother and child health and vaccination.
The knowledge of sociology can help nurse in a number of ways that also help in
improving in society