The practice of locking acute ward doors in the UK to manage patient care has been reported with increasing frequency in a number of recent official documents; however, there is little research examining the practice. This study explores the perceptions and experiences of mental health nurses working on acute wards where the doors are locked for all or part of a shift. Audio-taped, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 qualified mental health nurses and analysed using content analysis. Six broad categories were identified: policies and documentation, locking and unlocking the doors, communicating the decision, reasons for locking the doors, benefits and concerns. The findings suggest that there is a need for mental health nurses to reflect on the reasons for, and wider implications of locking ward doors before their wholesale implementation is considered in the UK.

Although an increasing amount of literature has appeared in recent years on the subject of stalking, little is known about mental health nurses' (MHNs) experiences of this phenomenon. The aims of the study were to investigate: (1) the incidence of stalking among a sample of MHNs in the UK; (2) who the perpetrators were; (3) the impact of stalking on MHNs; and (4) how MHNs manage their experiences. Employing a survey design, the British version of the Rutgers-Penn clinicians and stalking questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 400 MHNs in the UK. Data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics and McNemar test. The findings reveal that: (1) 50% (n = 56) of MHNs who completed the questionnaire had been stalked; (2) on the whole, victims were female (78.6%) and stalkers males (82.1%); (3) stalkers were from a variety of social groups including mental health service users and MHNs; (4) victims were threatened, followed, physically assaulted and received unwanted communication; (5) MHNs reported a variety of stress-related (psychological and behavioural) responses to their experiences; and (6) employed a range of coping strategies. This study serves to raise awareness of a number of issues surrounding an under-reported phenomenon in mental health nursing and points to the need for further research to explore the reliability and consequences of the findings.

Implementation of the nurse's holding power (Section 5(4) of the Mental Health Act 1983) is an important, yet poorly researched aspect of mental health nursing practice. Data collected from the Mental Health Act records of all patients detained under Section 5(4) in one trust from 1983 to 1997 suggest that detainees generally came from the acute mental health services, were female, were detained by male registered mental nurses and were held for an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes before being placed on another section of the Mental Health Act. The use of Section 5(4) seems to be influenced by the time of day, but not the day of the week, or month of the year. Peaks of Section 5(4) usage corresponded to such factors as the changeover of shifts, the absence of medical staff, visiting time and medicine rounds. The importance of these findings for clinical practice is discussed.

Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject?• The experiences of transgender people are becoming increasingly more visible in popular culture, biographical literature and the media.• The topic has received little attention within the psychiatric and mental health nursing literature.• There is a paucity of literature exploring the impact on relationships following a disclosure of transgenderism. What does this paper add to existing knowledge?• A narrative account of the consequences for the wife of one transwoman and their relationships with friends and family following the disclosure of transgenderism.• The article identifies a range of issues that require further attention in relation to healthcare provision. These include the: mental health needs of partners and spouses; attitudes of healthcare professionals towards transgender issues; and the adequacy of the formal support offered to partners and spouses of transgender people. What are the implications for practice?• There is a need for healthcare practitioners to explore their understanding of transgender issues and how these may impact on the mental health of partners and spouses.• It is important that healthcare professionals provide a hopeful and supportive environment to enable couples to explore their relationships following disclosure of transgenderism.

Her research focused on exploring experiences of mental health among internal migrants in Nigeria.