Exploring power relations embedded in medication communication processes on general medical wards

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine power relations embedded in verbal and non-verbal medication communication processes that involve nurses, doctors, pharmacists and patients in two general medical wards of an acute care hospital.Design/methodology/approach– This paper reports on the findings of an ethnographic study investigating medication communication processes in hospital spatial environments. It was theoretically informed by the work of Norman Fairclough. Data collection methods comprising video-recordings and video reflexive focus groups were employed. Fairclough's critical discourse analytic framework guided data analysis.Findings– Four different forms of power relation..