Mental health nurses' perceptions of good work in an acute setting

Cleary, Michelle; Horsfall, Jan; O’Hara-Aarons, Maureen; Jackson, Debra; Hunt, Glenn E.

doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00810.x

Cited by 30 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Relatively less attention, however, has been paid to what is done well (Cleary et al . ). Although required to nurture a ‘recovery’ culture, nurses are provided with little guidance about how this is best achieved, and there is a paucity of advice on how nurses should interact with people in their care to ensure that needs are met (Bowers et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

What makes an excellent mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived experience of service use

Gunasekara

Pentland

Rodgers

et al. 2013

Int J Mental Health Nurs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mental health nurses are in challenging positions. They have the opportunity to support people hospitalized for the treatment of mental illnesses on their recovery journeys, but are simultaneously required to manage a burgeoning administrative burden, maintain organizational 'order', and contain risk. While obliged by policy to engender an environment that promotes recovery, they receive little guidance about how this should be achieved. When feedback from people hospitalized in our service indicated the experience of care was variable, we undertook a pragmatic inquiry examining consumers' views about what makes an excellent mental health nurse. We interviewed 20 people with lived experience of hospitalization and analysed transcripts thematically. To ensure findings were relevant and useful, we consulted mental health nurses about nurses' needs, and incorporated this with the views of service users. The analysis demonstrated that personal qualities, professional skills, and environmental factors all influence the experience of mental health nursing. Our findings highlight a need for renewed attention to the basics of relationships and the importance for nurses of self-awareness and support. We urge nurses to make time to really get to know the people for whom they provide care, and to work to maintain passion for mental health nursing. It seems likely that attention to the simple things has the potential to improve levels of satisfaction among service users, decrease distress, and support the development of an environment in which can nurture recovery.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

What makes an excellent mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived experience of service use

Gunasekara

Pentland

Rodgers

et al. 2013

Int J Mental Health Nurs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Cleary et al . ). By offering to assist with other needs, the clinician is taking a more holistic view of the consumer's situation (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Engaging consumers in the Australian emergency mental health context: a qualitative perspective from clinicians working in the community

Procter

Backhouse

Cother

et al. 2014

Health Soc Care Community

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Successfully engaging with consumers is seen as an essential component of mental healthcare, yet doing so can be challenging and little is understood about the unique engagement skills and attributes employed by mental health clinicians working in the emergency community context. Consequently, this qualitative study explored the engagement experiences of clinicians to identify the attributes used when engaging with consumers in this unique setting. We conducted two semi-structured focus groups in July and August 2011 with 16 clinicians employed at one metropolitan mental health organisation in South Australia. Using thematic analysis, we identified two key themes pertaining to the skills and attributes used for successful consumer engagement: (i) building trust, through communication style, an honest approach, facilitating choice and locating trust networks; and (ii) portraying genuine care, through showing respect, offering practical assistance and taking the least restrictive pathway. These findings highlight the unique nature of engagement in the emergency community mental health setting, as well as the flexibility and resourcefulness required to facilitate it.

show abstract

“…Our discussion of some of the essences that are distilled from these nurse leaders' accounts needs to be considered in health service design and quality improvement mechanisms (Cleary, Horsfall, O'Hara-Aarons, Jackson, & Hunt, 2012;Graber, 2009;Hemmings, 2011). A greater understanding of the essence of mental health nursing and its impact is an important step towards presenting a more positive image of this field of practice to the nursing profession, general health care sector, and to the general public.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Authenticity, Creativity and a Love of the Job: Experiences of Grassroots Leaders of Mental Health Nursing in Queensland

McAllister

Happell

Bradshaw

2013

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The strength of mental health nursing and its potential contribution to improved consumer outcomes depends upon strong and clearly articulated leadership. However, studies of leadership have tended to focus on nurses holding senior positions rather than exploring the leadership embedded in clinical work. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken with identified mental health nurse leaders in one Australian state, in order to explore their experiences and what they found to be most meaningful in their work. This article reports the findings from this study. The data was analysed thematically to yield insights significant to mental health nursing and identity. The findings suggest these leaders find intrinsic rewards in the role; aspire to making authentic connections with consumers; appreciate the position of trust that they hold in bearing witness to individuals' distress; and use creative means to solve problems and achieve therapeutic outcomes. Sharing these themes builds knowledge on values that are embedded in mental health nursing practice and offers scope for integrating leadership attributes into the education, supervision and development of all mental health nurses. These findings also reveal the complexity of mental health nursing as a profession and the difficulties that might be encountered in attempts to define it in terms of its component tasks and functions.

show abstract

Mental health nurses' perceptions of good work in an acute setting

Cited by 30 publications

References 45 publications

What makes an excellent mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived experience of service use

What makes an excellent mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived experience of service use

Engaging consumers in the Australian emergency mental health context: a qualitative perspective from clinicians working in the community

Authenticity, Creativity and a Love of the Job: Experiences of Grassroots Leaders of Mental Health Nursing in Queensland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About