Controlling emotions : nurses’ lived experiences caring for patients in forensic psychiatry

Purpose: Nurses working in forensic psychiatry often encounter offenders who have a severe mental illness, which may cause ethical challenges and influence nurses’ daily work. This study was conducted to illuminate the meaning of nurses’ lived experiences of encounters with patients with mental illnesses in forensic inpatient care. Methods: This qualitative study employed narrative interviews with 13 nurses. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and analysed following a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Results: Four key themes were revealed: “Being frustrated” (subthemes included “Fighting resignation” and “Being disappointed”), “Protecting oneself” (subthemes included “To shy away,” “Being on your guard,” and “Being disclosed”), “Being open-minded” (subthemes included “Being confirmed,” “Developing trust,” and “Developing compassion”), and “Striving for control” (subthemes included “Sensing mutual vulnerability” and “Regulating oneself”). Further, working in forensic psychiatry challenged nurses’ identity as healthcare professionals because of being in a stressful context. Conclusions: Dealing with aggressive patients with severe mental illnesses threatens nurses’ professional identity. Nurses must attempt to empathize with patients’ experiences and respond accordingly. Utilizing strategies rooted in compassion such as self-reflection, emotional regulation, and distancing themselves when necessary may enable nurses to more effectively respond to patients’ needs. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Comparing patients’ perspectives of “good care” in Dutch outpatient psychiatric services with academic perspectives of patient-centred care

Background: Over the past six decades, the concept of patient-centred care (PCC) has been discussed in health research, policy and practice. However, research on PCC from a patients’ perspective is sparse and particularly absent in outpatient psychiatric services. Aim: to gain insight into what patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD consider “good care” and what this implies for the conceptualisation of PCC. Method: A literature review on the different conceptualisations of PCC was complemented with qualitative explorative research on the experiences and needs of adults with ADHD and with bipolar disorder with mental healthcare in the Netherlands using focus group discussions and interviews. Results: The elements addressed in literature are clustered into four dimensions: “patient”, “health professional”, “patient–professional interaction” and “healthcare organisation”. What is considered “good care” by patients coincided with the four dimensions of PCC found in literature and provided refinement of, and preferred emphasis within, the dimensions of PCC. Conclusions: This study shows the value of including patients’ perspectives in the conceptualisation of PCC, adding elements, such as “professionals listen without judgment”, “professionals (re)act on the fluctuating course of the disorder and changing needs of patients” and “patients are seen as persons with positive sides and strengths”

Nurses' role in caring for people with a comorbidity of mental illness and intellectual disability: A literature review

This article examines literature on the role of the nurse caring for people with a dual disability (DD) of intellectual disability and mental illness. A search of the literature between 2000 and 2010 resulted in a total of 21 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Seven key categories of the role of the nurse were identified: (i) advocacy/health promotion (including working with family); (ii) assessment/case management; (iii) behavioural interventions; (iv) communication; (v) leadership and the nurse’s role within the multidisciplinary team; (vi) functions regarding medication administration; and (vii) safety/risk management. There is a paucity of research about the role of nurses working with people with DD, although a number of opinion-based articles exist. This article identifies a need for the role of the nurse working in DD to be more clearly articulated and for the development of evidence to guide best practice