Complaints against nurses: a reflection of 'the new managerialism' and consumerism in health care?

This paper discusses the effects of restructuring on nursing as a professio n through an examination of the issue of complaints in Ontario. It argues t hat new managerialist techniques and associated changes in the nature of wo rk are reducing the autonomy of nurses and making it difficult for them to meet the standards of their profession. Simultaneously, the Ontario governm ent has increased the power of the public in the disciplinary process and t he College of Nurses of Ontario is encouraging patients to register their c omplaints. The growth of consumerism in health cars, coupled with the disci plinary process, individualizes complaints and deemphasizes their relations hip to restructuring. Moreover, in response to the increasing number of com plaints - complaints which more often come from the public - nursing organi zations have encouraged the legalization of the disciplinary process. thus fostering the individualization of the issues. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights, reserved.