Den mänskliga professionaliteten : En filosofisk undersökning av det autentiska mötets betydelse för patientens välbefinnande

Sammanfattning: The following study is based on observations made in practical medical and nursing care. A practical medical and nursing care problem is introduced, in which an imbalance is shown between the expectations on medical and nursing staff expressed by the patient and the fact that the medical and nursing staff has not had the opportunity to develop the ability to notice and meet the expectations of the patient. In order to solve the above-mentioned complex, practical medical and nursing care problem, it is essential to analyse such terms as: ‘authentic encounter’, ‘health’, ‘emotion’ and ‘personhood’ in order, thereby, to define the necessary conditions for a patient-carer encounter in which the independence and dignity of the patient is respected and active participation in the patient’s own health status is facilitated.In order for the patient’s independence and dignity to be respected, the following conditions for the authentic encounter are discussed. One such fundamental condition for the authentic encounter is Martin Buber’s modified I-Thou relation, the characteristics of which are mutuality, acceptance and confirmation. The ability of medical and nursing staff to create such an encounter based on these characteristics is also emphasised in order to safeguard the dignity of the patient. In addition to the modified I -Thou relation, a number of other prerequisites are discussed, attention to which is essential when creating an authentic encounter. One such condition is the view of health held by the carer. A review of various perspectives on health shows that an individual oriented, social approach is applicable since the outlook on humankind characterising such an approach is that of seeing the patient as a freely acting being with abilities of his own. Another condition for the authentic encounter is the interactive attitude described by Martha Nussbaum, which stresses the importance of getting to know one’s own emotions by accepting them but also by trusting others. Finally, the concept of personhood is discussed in order to clarify a further condition for the authentic encounter, namely, that the carer show consideration for the patient as the person she or he actually is. Making this possible demands a non-static conception of personhood, the fundamental idea of which is that the encounter takes place on the basis of the patient’s abilities and resources.