Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore and describe mental health nurses’ interventions in the management of patients who were experiencing anxiety in two inpatient mental health hospital facilities.
Method: For this study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with nursing staff who were working in these two inpatient mental health facilities within the same health service. Nurses’ reflections on what strategies they perceived to be effective nursing interventions for patients experiencing anxiety were the focus of the study. Thirty nurses participated in the study; of these were three males (3) and twenty-seven females (27). Levels of experience varied from 1-25 years.
Results: The results highlighted the importance of assessment, interpersonal skills and empathy, and the over-arching core concept of the importance of developing a therapeutic relationship with patients. The results identified the importance of facilitative mental health nurse/patient interactions to assist in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of patients’ mental health.
Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that appropriately educated and clinically supervised mental health nurses can provide effective early interventions to patients who are experiencing anxiety in hospital settings. The significance of this research was to identify effective nursing interventions for patients who were experiencing anxiety whilst in hospital.
Method: For this study, data were collected through in-depth interviews with nursing staff who were working in these two inpatient mental health facilities within the same health service. Nurses’ reflections on what strategies they perceived to be effective nursing interventions for patients experiencing anxiety were the focus of the study. Thirty nurses participated in the study; of these were three males (3) and twenty-seven females (27). Levels of experience varied from 1-25 years.
Results: The results highlighted the importance of assessment, interpersonal skills and empathy, and the over-arching core concept of the importance of developing a therapeutic relationship with patients. The results identified the importance of facilitative mental health nurse/patient interactions to assist in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of patients’ mental health.
Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that appropriately educated and clinically supervised mental health nurses can provide effective early interventions to patients who are experiencing anxiety in hospital settings. The significance of this research was to identify effective nursing interventions for patients who were experiencing anxiety whilst in hospital.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 38-45 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Nursing Education and Practice |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2012 |
