Care critiques

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Care critiques

What do you know about care critiques already? Here are a few statements. Are they true or false?

1 . A care critique criticises the care provided to a client.

2 . A care critique is like a case study.

3 . A care critique should make recommendations as to how to improve the weak aspects of the care examined.

4 . In a care critique the recommendations are made before the conclusion.

5 . Recommendations in a care critique can be made so that effective care is also adopted in other similar health care settings.

II. Here are some further ideas about care critiques.

Consider the following two examples:

1. They have been criticised for not always making the clients the centre of the service they provide.
2. All the theories presented in the book have been critiqued, revealing where they have contributed to the field and where they have fallen short of our expectations.

Example 1 illustrates the use and meaning of the verb ‘criticise’: to point out the real or perceived flaws of someone or something. Example 2, on the other hand, shows the use and meaning of ‘critique’: to offer a critical examination of the strengths and weaknesses of someone or something.

What do care critiques do? They offer a critical examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the care offered to a client or group of clients on a particular occasion. This is why they are called ‘critiques’ rather than criticisms.

So, is a care critique like a case study? Not exactly. In a case study, the problem is the focus of analysis, in a care critique the care is the focus and the problem the background to the care. This is why they are called ‘care’ critiques.

What are the main objectives of care critiques then? Care critiques first identify a problem or an issue with the care provided. They then analyse the problem or issue, provide a solution or alternative way for the problem analysed, and finally make recommendations about the care.

For more advice, see Chapters 2 and 5 of Writing for Nursing and Midwifery Students by Julio Gimenez

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