Othering in the nursing context: A concept analysis

Abstract

Aim: ‘Othering’ is described as a social process whereby a dominant group or person uses negative attributes to define and subordinate others. Literature suggests othering creates exclusive relationships and puts patients at risk for suboptimal care. A concept analysis delineating the properties of othering was conducted to develop knowledge to support inclusionary practices in nursing. Design: Rodgers’ Evolutionary Method for concept analysis guided this study. Methods: The following databases were searched spanning the years 1999–2015: CINAHL, PUBMED, PsychINFO and Google. Search terms included “othering”, “nurse”, “other”, “exclusion” and “patient”. Results: Twenty-eight papers were analyzed whereby definitions, related concepts and othering attributes were identified. Findings support that othering in nursing is a sequential process with a trajectory aimed at marginalization and exclusion, which in turn has a negative impact on patient care and professional relationships. Implications are discussed in terms of deriving practical solutions to disrupt othering. We conclude with a conceptual foundation designed to support inclusionary strategies in nursing.