Editorial

We begin this issue with an article by Sarah Ramsey, titled ‘When Florence met Freud: interaction and intersection between psychoanalysis and nursing’. The paper begins with an overview of literature from the last century which has applied psychoanalytic theory to various aspects of the nursing profession. The literature has used this psychoanalytic lens to examine a broad range of subjects such as the motivation to enter the career, stress and burnout, the nurse-patient relationship, role and task, transference, research, Lacan, the impact of societal change on the profession as well as health service processes and systems. Ramsey provides an overview of each of these areas, focusing on general hospital nursing in the UK’s National Health Service, but including the work of nurses in psychiatric and international settings where relevant. She offers a critical perspective on the application of psychoanalytic theory ‘outside the clinic’. The limited engagement between psychoanalysis and general nursing is considered from both perspectives. The author highlights the potential for an enriching dialogue between the two disciplines, as well as exploring potential barriers.

The second paper, ‘Auditory hallucinations in non-psychotic disorders - an analytical psychological perspective’ is by Andrew Howe, Arsime Demjaha and Kevin Lu. The authors make use of Jung’s Complex Theory to explore the experience of hallucinations in people with diagnoses of Schizophrenia or Borderline Personality Disorder. They draw on the concept of ego strength as a mediator of Complexes. Using a Neuropsychological model of the ego they point to differences in neuroactivity which may lead to hallucinations being experienced either externally or internally. They argue that this would support Jung’s introversion/extraversion - psychosis/hysteria hypothesis. They conclude that this Jungian formulation of hallucinations is highly relevant to contemporary healthcare as it offers an explanatory model of