MATERNAL KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE - COOPERATION AND CONFLICT IN THE CARE OF SICK CHILDREN

Although it is common-place to describe mothers as 'experts' about the ir own children there has been little examination of the nature of mot hers' expertise in the assessment of their sick children. In this pape r mothers' accounts of occasions when they believed that they knew tha t their children were unwell are reported. Mothers also described how it could be difficult to convince health professionals that their conc erns were justified. These accounts were obtained during a qualitative study of the experiences of parents of 24 children hospitalised on a surgical ward. The nature of maternal and professional knowledge is co nsidered and it is suggested that conflicts arise from the different n ature of maternal knowledge, which develops in the 'private' domain of intimate contact and professional knowledge which is based in the 'pu blic' domain of the world of work. These differences are illustrated b y problems experienced by mothers and nurses in the integration of the ir different knowledge in assessments of children's pain. Implications for practitioners involved in the care of sick children are considere d. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.