Lay information provision in community settings: How community health nurses disseminate human services information to the elderly

In this ethnographic study, Mark Granovetter's theory of the strength of we ak ties was used to investigate the flow of human services information (HSI ) among nurses and the elderly at neighborhood foot clinics. Analysis of ob servation and interview data revealed that nurses were, indeed, bridging we ak ties--who played an important role in linking seniors with local service s, because they provided HSI in a caring manner that seniors associated wit h strong ties. Although nurses were not always aware of their HSI-giving ro le and referral behavior, they used various techniques to identify seniors' needs and often used strategies to persuade clients to use their informati on. Among other findings were "missed opportunities" and affective aspects of information giving. Seniors reported using HSI in ways that differed fro m what nurses intended, which suggests that information helps in indirect w ays. Overall, the clinic setting was identified as a rich information groun d that fosters the informal sharing of HSI among all participants through s ocial interaction. The study's novel approach and findings may be applicabl e to other situations regarding information behavior among clients and prof essionals.