[Nurses' experiences regarding working in the psychiatric wards and its physical outcomes]

ABSTRACT

The nurses have a significant role in the treatment and care of the patients with mental and psychiatric disorders. They encounter complications and various phenomena of the psychiatric settings such as physical strain. It is essential to have a deep understanding about nurses' attitudes, perceptions, emotions and beliefs about physical results in the psychiatric ward. This study was conducted to access nurses' experiences regarding physical outcome of working in psychiatric settings as an important step in improving psychatric nursing practice in the psychiatric wards. This is a qualtivative study with phenomenology method. Participants of this research were selected through proposal sampling. They were nurses who were employed in psychiatric wards of 4 hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. The hospitals included Farabi, Al Zahra, Noor and Shahid Modarres. The participants' aged between 25-50 years [M=35]. 35/2 percent were male [N=6] and 64/7 percent were female [N=11]. Data were gathered in spring in 2005 by in depth interviews. Every interview was recorded in a tape. Each interview lasted for 20 to 90 minutes [M=49]. Data analysis was done by Cloaizzi method. Study results were summerized in 2 core concepts physical strain and workload and 4 subconcepts physical injury, fatigue, environment management and care provision. Inadequate experience and knowledge in the psychiatric team causes inevitable physical strain. Haring an insight toward nurses' experiences reveals nurses' needs and can help them to have a better picture of themselves. Thus this is an important step in improving psychiatric nursing practice. Having a deep understanding from nurses' experiences about physical outcomes of psychiatrc wards, has a significant and fundamental influence on quality of care given to the patients with psychiatric and method disorders. It helps not only nurses, but also all psychiatric team to decrease physical strain. This study hopes to help all people participating in proviiding care for the patients with mental and psychiatric disorders, inviting them to improve practice and to evaluate this process. Improvement of professional competence is fulfilled through decreasing the physical starin in the psychiatric wards