Nursing psychotherapeutic interventions: a review of clinical studies

Abstract

Aims and objectives. To summarise current knowledge about nursing psychotherapeutic interventions in adults. Background. In Portugal, the provision of psychotherapeutic interventions is considered a competence of mental health nurses. However, literature is not totally clear about the differences between 'psychotherapy' and 'psychotherapeutic interventions' and about the specific characteristics that define a nursing psychotherapeutic intervention. Design. Narrative review. Methods. A literature review utilising MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Web of Science, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and MedicLatina computerised databases for the period from 2003-2013. A total of 151 eligible articles were identified. Relevant data were extracted, and findings were synthetised in a narrative synthesis. Results. Nursing psychotherapeutic interventions are frequently based on 'Cognitive-Behavioural' rationale. The usual length of these interventions varies between 5-16 weeks, in a total of 5-12 sessions of 45-60 minutes. The mechanisms of change are heterogeneous, but the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the client seems to be the most important positive predictive factor of nursing psychotherapeutic interventions. Some of the most used outcome assessment measures include the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the CORE-OM. The effectiveness of nursing psychotherapeutic interventions has been widely demonstrated in many studies. However, the need of further studies to prove its cost effectiveness is evident. Conclusions. It is necessary to have a better understanding of nursing psychotherapeutic interventions, one that explains its conceptual limits, to improve mental health nursing knowledge and create suitable models of psychotherapeutic intervention in nursing. Relevance to clinical practice. The findings of this review can create awareness for some weaknesses of nursing knowledge about the psychotherapeutic intervention and for the need to produce knowledge, to nurture the nursing discipline in What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community?• This review provides evidence of some specificities related to nursing psychotherapeutic intervention, and it aids in understanding the differences between a psychotherapeutic intervention performed by a nurse and that performed by other health care providers.• This review makes clear that psychotherapeutic intervention is also a competence of mental health nurses, which can be helpful in making it available to a larger number of people, thus improving the quality of the health care assistance.

Interventions delivered by nurses in adult outpatient psychiatric care: An integrative review

“…All the studies included were peer‐reviewed, original research studies, published in a scientific journal, with an electronic abstract available. We included studies with a patient group of adults (18 years or older), since the interventions targeted for children and adolescents differ from those for adult patients (Sampaio, Sequeira & Lluch Canut ). Further inclusion criteria were as follows: interventions performed by a nurse (including mental health nurses), nurse practitioner or advanced nurse practitioner alone or together with another professional.…”

Contributes for the development of a psychotherapeutic intervention model in nursing: A focus group study in Portugal and Spain

“…With respect to the number of sessions that a nursing psychotherapeutic intervention should comprise, a review conducted by Sampaio et al . states that the usual load of nursing psychotherapeutic interventions varies between 5 and 12 sessions.…”

Intervenções psicoterapêuticas de enfermagem NIC na prática clínica em Portugal: Um estudo descritivo

“…A título de exemplo, seria importante analisar o impacto, ao nível dos ganhos em saúde mental dos utentes, da inclusão na equipa de saúde de mais um enfermeiro especialista em Enfermagem de Saúde Mental e Psiquiátrica, durante o turno da manhã ou da tarde, com a função exclusiva de planear e executar intervenções psicoterapêuticas. Finalmente, ao nível das políticas de saúde e, em particular, das políticas de saúde mental, o presente estudo parece apontar alguns fatores que, caso sejam alvo de modi cação (como por exemplo os rácios enfermeiro/ utente), podem levar a que os enfermeiros especialistas em Enfermagem de Saúde Mental e Psiquiátrica executem mais frequentemente intervenções psicoterapêuticas na sua prática clínica, com todos os benefícios para os utentes que a literatura aponta como advindo das mesmas (Sampaio, Sequeira, & Lluch Canut, 2015).…”