Hold my hand and walk with me: Empathy on the mental health inpatient unit

Empathy – the ability to take another’s perspective and experience emotional and sympathetic reactions to their situation – is a core process in building therapeutic relationships between nurses and the individuals they care for. The question of how empathy operates when there is some disagreement or discord (conflict) between staff and persons in mental health care was the focus of our recent research

Family carers of older adults

Discusses a piece by Professor Bob Knight (InPsych, December 2016)

The views of women in prison about help-seeking for intimate partner violence: At the intersection of survivor and offender

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most prevalent form of violence against women, with particularly high rates of victimization experienced by those who are involved in the justice system. For women leaving prison, the dual status of ‘survivor’ and ‘offender’ introduces a range of additional factors that have the potential to limit access to those services that can keep them safe. In this qualitative study, 22 women in an Australian women’s prison discussed help-seeking for IPV. The analysis of their experiences highlights the importance of providing services that address multiple determinants of help-seeking in ex-prisoners

The forgotten victims: Prisoner experience of victimisation and engagement with the criminal justice system

Many women in prison have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). As this form of violence is often intergenerational and entrenched, women in prison are widely considered to be at particular risk of ongoing victimisation following release from custody. And yet, their support needs often go unrecognised, and it is likely that a range of barriers exists that prevent ex-prisoners from accessing services. This project, jointly funded by ANROWS and Sparke Helmore Lawyers was conducted in partnership between James Cook University and the South Australian Department for Correctional Services. Led by Professor Andrew Day, this research develops an understanding of the factors that influence help-seeking by women in prison who may have concerns about their personal safety post release and how this might inform service responses

Anticipating the needs of justice-involved women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV)

Research reports a large percentage of female prisoners are subject to physical and sexual violence from their partners prior to incarceration but return to the same relationships on their release into the community. At present, little is known about the experiences and needs of women prisoners and the types of services available to maintain their safety postrelease. The help-seeking behaviours of incarcerated women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and the perspectives of service providers in one Australian jurisdiction were investigated to inform the development of a model specific to the physical and mental health needs of women prisoners

Empathic processes during nurse-consumer conflict situations in psychiatric inpatient units: A qualitative study

Empathy is a central component of nurse-consumer relationships. In the present study, we investigated how empathy is developed and maintained when there is conflict between nurses and consumers, and the ways in which empathy can be used to achieve positive outcomes. Through semistructured interviews, mental health nurses (n = 13) and consumers in recovery (n = 7) reflected on a specific conflict situation where they had experienced empathy, as well as how empathy contributed more generally to working with nurses/consumers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, utilizing a framework that conceptualizes empathy experiences as involving antecedents, processes, and outcomes. The central theme identified was 'my role as a nurse - the role of my nurse'. Within this theme, nurses focussed on how their role in managing risk and safety determined empathy experienced towards consumers; consumers saw the importance of nurse empathy both in conflict situations and for their general hospitalization experience. Empathy involved nurses trying to understand the consumer's perspective and feeling for the consumer, and was perceived by consumers to involve nurses 'being there'. Empathic relationships built on trust and rapport could withstand a conflict situation, with empathy a core component in consumer satisfaction regarding conflict resolution and care. Empathy allows the maintenance of therapeutic relationships during conflict, and influences the satisfaction of nurses and consumers, even in problematic situations. Nurse education and mentoring should focus on nurse self-reflection and building empathy skills in managing conflict. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc

Anticipating the needs of justice-involved women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV)

Research reports a large percentage of female prisoners are subject to physical and sexual violence from their partners prior to incarceration but return to the same relationships on their release into the community. At present, little is known about the experiences and needs of women prisoners and the types of services available to maintain their safety postrelease. The help-seeking behaviours of incarcerated women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and the perspectives of service providers in one Australian jurisdiction were investigated to inform the development of a model specific to the physical and mental health needs of women prisoners

The experience of empathy from the perspectives of nurses and consumers of acute mental health services

Empathy is interwoven through therapeutic relationships between health professionals and consumers. However, the process of empathy in nursing has been considered complex and often poorly understood. Approaching empathy as a series of processes (e.g. role taking) and outcomes (e.g. empathic emotion, personal distress), this study investigated the perspectives of both nurses and consumers regarding empathy during an acute care mental health admission. In semi-structured interviews, nurses (n = 13) and consumers in recovery (n = 7) discussed a time when they had experienced empathy toward a consumer (nurse) or had felt understood (consumers) during a confl ict situation on the ward, such as a disagreement, when a consumer did not want to take medication, or when restraint/seclusion was used. Data was thematically analysed and the unique perceptions of nurses and consumers explored. Themes to emerge revolved around the idea that empathy is intricate and demonstrated in a number of ways. Specifi c skills such as active listening, professional boundaries and advocacy became central to understanding another’s perspective yet were not always demonstrated. Consumers stressed the importance of nurses trying to appreciate their experiences, and suggested several ways that empathic engagement could occur within the more task-focused roles of nurses. Nurses discussed tensions that exist within their role and the challenge of their own biases and emotional reactions in their care of a consumer. This study is useful to consider the similarities and differences of empathic engagement from both the consumer and nurse perspective to increase understandings of empathy and facilitate its development when working with others

Absconding from acute inpatient care: A five-year retrospective analysis (Poster)

Patients absconding while under psychiatric inpatient hospitalization experience disruption to their treatment and may come to harm. In spite of the importance of this topic, there have been no Australian interventions reported, and the published data is several years old with methodological weaknesses. This study was a five-year retrospective analysis of absconding incidents by involuntary hospitalized patients in three acute care wards from 2006–2010. The aims of the study were to determine absconding rates, compare those who did and did not abscond, and to examine absconding incidents. The data revealed that 12.09% of patients absconded, with little change in rates over time. There were some ward differences in absconding rates. Being male, young, diagnosed with schizophrenia or substance use disorder, and having a longer length of hospital stay were predictive of absconding. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients had higher odds of absconding than Caucasian Australians. Over 25% of patients repeatedly absconded. Patients absconded early in admission, with 25% leaving within three days of being on the ward from which they absconded. More absconding incidents occurred earlier in the year, during summer and autumn, later in the week, and few incidents occurred early in the morning. Almost 60% of incidents lasted 24 hours or less. Drawing on these results and our team’s work in the area, including nurses’ approaches to assessment and management, we will discuss the formulation of interventions to prevent absconding and guide least restrictive health care

Reshaping curricula: Culture and mental health in undergraduate health degrees

© 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc. country rich in cultural diversity, with Indigenous Australians having specific cultural values and a variety of spoken languages. In addition, the increasing number of people from migrant and refugee backgrounds requires that health professionals be able to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This is particularly relevant when undertaking a mental health assessment, because members of diverse communities often face the dual vulnerability of marginalization and stigmatization. This paper reports on the development and evaluation of a virtual teaching and learning resource that prepares health students to be culturally competent in mental health assessment. Four online interprofessional learning journeys were developed. Evaluation of the learning resources was conducted across three participating Australian universities. Quantitative evaluation involved pre- and post-testing using an empathy scale, the Mental Health Nursing Clinical Confidence Scale, and the Cultural Competence Questionnaire informed by the theory of planned behaviour. Qualitative data from focus group interviews explored participants' experiences of using the guided learning journey. Participants reported changes from pretest to post-test in their empathy and attitudes towards culturally and linguistically diverse consumers with significant positive changes in cultural competence, empathy, and attitudes. There was strong satisfaction with the learning materials, indicating that participants valued this 'real world' learning experience. Results require cautious interpretation, given recruitment difficulties in the evaluation phase. However, these learning journeys appear to have potential to be an effective way to challenge attitudes and perceptions, as well as increase cultural competence towards culturally and linguistically diverse consumers. Australia is