Louise Ward

Ready, Aim Fire! Mental Health Nurses Under Siege in Acute Inpatient Facilities

It has been clearly acknowledged and well-documented that physical, emotional, and psychological violence is a central theme and an expected workplace hazard for registered nurses working in acute inpatient mental health care facilities. Limited research, however, has focused on how registered nurses have been able to cope within this environment and adequately protect themselves from harm. A critical feminist research project recently explored the lived experience of 13 Australian, female, registered nurses working in a busy metropolitan acute inpatient mental health care facility. “Fear” was exposed as the precursor to violence and aggression, both “fear as experienced by the nurse” and “fear as experienced by the patient.” The participants reported experiencing a sense of fear when they could not accurately or confidently anticipate a patient response or reaction. They identified this relationship with fear as being “part of the job” and part of the unpredictable nature of caring for people experiencing complex distortions in thinking and behavior. The participants believed, however, that additional workplace pressures complicated the therapeutic environment, resulting in a distraction from patient care and observation. This distraction could lead to nurse-patient miscommunication and the potential for violence. This article discusses a major theme to emerge from this study, “Better the devil you know!” The theme highlights how mental health nurses cope with violence and why they choose to continue working in this complex care environment.

P.I.C.U., H.D.U., A.O.A. What treatment do we provide? Current descriptions of the function of intensive care for inpatient psychiatric health care

Purpose – This paper adds to growing research of psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) by recounting descriptions of psychiatric intensive care settings and discusses the perceptions held by nurses of the organisational interfaces, arrangements and provisions of care in these settings. Design/methodology/approach – Data gathered from focus groups held with nurses from two PICUs was used to establish terminology, defining attributes, related concepts, antecedents, values, processes and concepts related to current practices. A literature search was conducted to permit a review of the conceptual arrangements and contemporary understanding of intensive care for people experiencing acute psychiatric illness based on the perspectives held by the nurses from the focus groups. Findings – Dissonance between service needs and the needs and management of individual patients overshadow strategies to implement comprehensive recovery-oriented approaches. Three factors are reported in this paper that influence standar...

Storytelling; safeguarding; treatment; and responsibility; attributes of recovery in psychiatric intensive care units

Background and aim In recent years, policy in Australia has endorsed recovery-oriented mental health services underpinned by the needs, rights and values of people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper critically reviews the idea of recovery as understood by nurses at the frontline of services for people experiencing acute psychiatric distress. Method Data gathered from focus groups held with nurses from two hospitals were used to ascertain their use of terminology, understanding of attributes and current practices that support recovery for people experiencing acute psychiatric distress. A review of literature further examined current nurse-based evidence and nurse knowledge of recovery approaches specific to psychiatric intensive care settings. Results Four defining attributes of recovery based on nurses’ perspectives are shared to identify and describe strategies that may help underpin recovery specific to psychiatric intensive care settings. Conclusion The four attributes described in this paper provide a pragmatic framework with which nurses can reinforce their clinical decision-making and negotiate the dynamic and often incongruous challenges they experience to embed recovery-oriented culture in acute psychiatric settings.

A systematic review protocol of educational programs for nursing staff on management of resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in residential aged care homes

AIM To review evidence concerning educational programs for nursing staff on management of resident-to-resident elder mistreatment with the aim of preventing and reducing this abuse in residential aged care homes. BACKGROUND Although elder abuse has received considerable attention, very little is known regarding resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in residential aged care homes and about interventions/programs to prevent and reduce this harm. Nurses play an essential role in identifying and managing aggressive interactions. However, many nurses may not recognize these behaviours as forms of abuse. Thus, it is important to ascertain if educational programs for nursing staff have been developed and implemented. DESIGN Quantitative systematic review registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017080925). METHODS A systematic search of English published studies between 1980 - 2017 will be conducted in CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsychInfo and Scopus. Risk of bias and quality of the studies will be evaluated by using the Cochrane Collaborations tool and the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized studies. A meta-analysis will be performed, if sufficient homogeneity exists; otherwise, data will be summarized by using a narrative description. This study was funded in January 2017. DISCUSSION Nursing staff should play a pivotal role in preventing and/or reducing resident-to-resident elder mistreatment. Therefore, it is important to identify available educational programs for nursing staff dealing with this abuse. Consequently, this review may provide evidence-based care for nursing staff to assist them in protecting older residents from experiencing abuse or being abused and in improving their well-being.

Implementation and evaluation of an education programme for nursing staff on recognising, reporting and managing resident‐to‐resident elder mistreatment in aged care facilities

AIM To implement an educational programme for nursing staff on recognising, reporting and managing resident-to-resident elder mistreatment in aged care facilities. BACKGROUND The phenomenon of a growing ageing population increases the demand of optimum care for older people living in aged care facilities. Caring for older people is complex, but should include the management of aggressive interaction between them. Nursing staff play a vital role in identifying and managing those behaviours. However, many nurses may not recognise these aggressive interactions as abuse. Therefore, this study aims to manage and reduce this abuse through an educational programme. DESIGN Cluster randomised trial registered on the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN 12617001618347). METHODS This trial was undertaken in an aged care facility located in Melbourne, Australia and was funded in January 2017. Wards were randomly allocated (as the intervention and control group) by using sealed opaque envelopes. Nursing staff, who met eligibility, were consecutively recruited and supplied their informed consent. Nurses from the intervention group received an educational programme, while nurses from the control group continued with the usual standard care. Main outcomes included recognising, managing and reporting the abuse before and after the intervention and will be evaluated on an intention-to-treat analysis. DISCUSSION It is vital to manage and reduce resident-to-resident elder mistreatment. This educational programme may assist nursing staff to protect vulnerable older people experiencing this abuse and may improve comprehensive evidence-based care for older people residing in aged care facilities.

The Mental health Master Class: An innovative approach to improving student learning in mental health nursing

The Master Class was developed as an additional educational innovation designed to promote learning about mental health and illness and mental health nursing as a career option to 2nd-year undergraduate nursing students. A number of students had approached the mental health nursing academics expressing two polar views on mental health. They either expressed extreme interest in mental health nursing or significant distress and concern related to studying the core 2nd-year subject. It was considered that the Master Class could potentially provide students with additional support. It was thought the Master Class may either consolidate their interest in mental health or relieve their stress. This article presents the findings of a pre- and postevaluation which was employed to explore the effectiveness of the 5-day intensive mental health Master Class programme on students mental health learning and their understanding of the role of a mental health nurse. The findings highlighted that prior to participating in the Master Class, there was a significant sense of uncertainty associated with perceived levels of competence required within the profession of mental health nursing. This was coupled with students expressing they wanted to disengage with the profession even before they had commenced any theory or clinical experience. The post-Master Class findings illustrated a significant improvement in students desire to consider mental health nursing.

Quality nursing care in dementia specific care units: A scoping review:

Background The concept of quality nursing care in a dementia specific unit is perceived as being subject to the interpretation of individuals, nurses and healthcare organisations. As the number of dementia diagnoses increases, understanding what constitutes quality nursing care within dementia specific care units is vital to inform policy makers and healthcare organisations globally. Efforts to identify quality nursing care and improve dementia care within dementia specific care units, may significantly reduce the financial and emotional burden of care-giving and improve the quality of life for individuals living with dementia. This scoping review aimed to examine current literature to gain an understanding of what constitutes quality nursing care in a dementia specific care unit. Design and methods Five electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Social Sciences Citation Index and Ovid) were used to search for articles published in English between 2011 and 2016 focusing on a definition of quality nursing care within dementia specific care units. Findings: Twenty journal articles were identified. From these articles, two content themes were identified: Challenges in the provision of quality nursing care in dementia specific care units, and Standardised approach to quality nursing care in a dementia specific care unit. The articles contained the following research designs, controlled pre-test and post-test design (n = 1), focus group interviews (n = 1), cross sectional survey (n = 6), semi structured interviews (n = 3), narrative review (n = 1), survey (n = 2), literature review (n = 3), systematic review (n = 1), and prospective longitudinal cohort study (n = 2). Conclusions The concept of quality nursing care in a dementia specific unit remains subject to the interpretation of individuals, nurses and healthcare organisations, with current literature unable to provide a clear definition. Further research into what constitutes quality nursing care in dementia specific care units is recommended.

Have you got what it takes? Nursing in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit

Purpose – A Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and or High Dependency Unit (HDU) is a locked, intensive treatment facility available to people experiencing acute psychiatric distress. For many people who access public mental health services in Australia, the PICU/HDU is the primary point of admission, and should represent and facilitate timely assessment and an optimum treatment plan under a recovery framework. Nurses are the largest health discipline working in this specialty area of care. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study aimed to investigate the skills, experience, and practice, of nurses working in the PICU/HDU in relation to a recovery model of care. Identifying how nurses provide care in the PICU/HDU will inform a clinical practice guideline to further support this specialty area of care. Four focus groups were facilitated with 52 registered nurses attending. Findings – The nurse participants identified specific skills under four distinct themes; Storytelling, Treatment and recovery, Taking responsibility, and Safeguarding. The skills highlight the expertise and clinical standard required to support a recovery model of care in the PICU. Research limitations/implications – The research findings highlight urgency for a National PICU/HDU clinical practice guideline. Practical implications – A PICU/HDU practice guideline will promote the standard of nursing care required in the PICU/HDU. The PICU/HDU needs to be recognised as a patient centred, therapeutic opportunity as opposed to a restrictive and custodial clinical area. Social implications – Providing transparency of practice in the PICU/HDU and educating nurses to this specialty area of care will improve client outcome and recovery. Originality/value – Very few studies have explored the skills, experience, and practice, of nurses working in the PICU/HDU in relation to a recovery model of care. A dearth of research exists on what is required to work in this specialty area of care.