PDF (PhD Thesis) - UWE Research Repository - University of the ...

Jordon felt whinging was self-absorbed behaviour that didn‘t recognise the
needs of others whereas I wanted my needs met through whinging. Jordon
also noticed whinging happened between staff at the same level in the
organisation and contributed to low morale and reduced job satisfaction. It
became apparent as the inquiry moved through Strands 1, 2 and 3 that
whinging, feeling unsupported and low staff morale were concerns for all
the participants and suggested a systemic NHS problem. The feeling of
being ‗put upon‘ is evident in the phrase ―We shouldn‟t have to do this‖ and
it seems to have a resignation associated with powerlessness. In the co-
inquiry we thought reflecting during care giving could reduce the negativity
associated with whinging through effective facilitation by asking reflective
questions, direct communication and developing systemic agency 41 .
However, in our cycle of trying to interrupt whinging, we learnt how difficult
it was to shift the conversation to a reflective process in a team. We saw
reflection as constructive because it contained the elements of challenge
and support whereas whinging contained justification and agreement. We
realized whinging expressed emotions and dissatisfactions in an indirect
way that kept the status quo intact. We wondered if the ‗whinger‘ felt there
was no point trying to change the system or work processes, accepting the
stress and demonstrating a lack of agency or sense of personal power.
Perhaps the nurse wouldn‘t necessarily know how or where to take the
changes she would love to happen or perhaps she might be anticipating a
backlash for trying.
Concurrently, I was reading Augusto Boal‘s (1979) Theatre of the
Oppressed who suggested many productions in the theatre served to
‗wind the audience up‘ into an ―emotional orgy‖ of inappropriately evoked
emotions. He argued this was a subtle form of power and control over the
audience. I observed this happening in nursing teams when one member
started to whinge there would be an emotional response that seemed to
be heightened through the group process. As Bion (1968) suggested
41 This will be further explored in chapters 6 and 7.
157