ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sexual health is a taboo issue in some societies. Limited assessments were conducted during nursing care in mental health services. It is unknown whether psychiatric nurses' competencies would be enhanced through short training courses. OBJECTIVE: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-hour sexual health care training for psychiatric nurses to improve sexual health knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy in a teaching psychiatric hospital in southern Taiwan. METHOD: Volunteered psychiatric nurses were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The 8-hour training program contained sexual health knowledge and attitudes, case discussion, role play, and sexual identity or harassment issues. Each nurse received a pretest and a posttest in the 1-month period between August and September 2019. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were used to evaluate the effects. RESULTS: Among the 75 psychiatric nurses, 43 were in the control group and 32 were in the experimental group. The two groups were not significantly different in the working year, gender, education, marriage, and other psychosocial variables. After the training, the overall performance of sexual health care knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of the experimental group improved significantly than the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual health care training program enhanced psychiatric nurses' confidence and generally improved their sexual knowledge and attitudes. It is suggested that sexual health care needs to be highlighted during in-job training to augment the well-being and life quality of psychiatric patients.
ABSTRACT
Evidence-based nursing science has identified psychological recovery, partnership, and medication adherence as factors that have influenced the development of mental health care. This article discusses the process by which mental health care has developed from a medical / rehabilitation-focused model to a model that focuses on patient empowerment. The current model aims to assist patients to achieve self-awareness and to develop coping skills that enhance their motivation to transform. Medical advances have improved the control of psychiatric symptoms. Following the introduction of 2nd generation antipsychotics, patients were invited to establish decisions related to these prescription medications. Under the principles of patient-centered service, Taiwanese mental health professionals have changed their relationship with patients from a therapeutic model to a mutual-partnership model. Furthermore, investigations of the therapeutic care of patients with mental illness have used the needs of patients as their starting point and emphasized various aspects of patient and caregiver needs. Taiwanese mental health professionals are searching for a model of mental health care that is superior to the traditional operative framework of medical authority.
Subject(s)
Mental Health , Psychiatric Nursing , Evidence-Based Nursing , Humans , Mental Disorders/nursing , TaiwanABSTRACT
This aim of this preliminary experimental study was to integrate effective evidence-based community-care services that are subjected to heavy caseloads, and to then examine the effects on individuals with schizophrenia. Using a cluster sampling method, four homecare nurses were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the comparison group. The nurses in the experimental group applied the following six identified effective elements: (1) established an alliance with their patients; (2) assessed patient-care needs; (3) considered both medical and social-care practices; (4) addressed patients' self-management of medication and their daily tasks; (5) provided crisis intervention; and (6) coordinated resources. The patients comprised 85 individuals with schizophrenia. In the experimental group, psychiatric homecare nurses were randomly assigned to implement integrated, evidence-based community-care services during a six-month follow-up period. Patients in the comparison group continued to receive their customary community care. In the experimental group, patient satisfaction scores, medication attitudes, and general functioning levels were significantly higher than in the comparison group. These preliminary findings indicate a potentially effective model for community care in areas where intensive case management cannot be provided.
