Scapegoating and the unpopular nurse

SummaryThis paper considers the theories of scapegoating and their application to nursing. It reviews the literature on scapegoating drawing particular attention to those studies which have emphasised on the instrumental uses of scapegoating in organisational contexts. The paper draws on data from a qualitative study of the identification and management of the ‘problem’ nurse conducted in three healthcare Trusts. It describes a number of illustrative cases in which different types of scapegoating occurred. The paper argues that scapegoating is an ethical challenge which nurses must face.