The experiences of psychiatric nurses who have been exposed to aggression by mental health care users

• Main Author: De Beer, Phillip
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Nurse and patient - South Africa; Psychiatric nurses - South Africa - Attitudes; Psychiatric nurses - Job stress - South Africa; Aggressiveness
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10976

M.Cur. (Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing) === Injuries suffered by nursing personnel as a result of aggression by mental health care users are on the increase. The psychiatric nurses and assistant nurses working in a psychiatric institution may suffer physical trauma, which gets healed over time with proper treatment, but the emotional scars are not attended to, hence some of the psychiatric nurses and assistant nurses working in a psychiatric institution do not cope. The impact of this trend is enormous and it is reflected in the health care service. The main purpose of this research study is to explore and describe the experiences of psychiatric nurses and assistant nurses who have been exposed to aggression by mental health care users while working in a psychiatric institution, in order to formulate guidelines to promote the mental health of these psychiatric and assistant nurses to. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised in this study. There were two phases to the research, whereby phase one included the description and exploration of experiences of nurses who have been exposed to aggression by mental health care users in a public psychiatric hospital in Gauteng. In phase two, guidelines were formulated to promote the mental health of the nurses in this context. A purposive sampling method was used, since it provides information-rich cases for in-depth study. One-on-one in-depth phenomenological interviews were utilised to gather data. Lincoln and Guba’s approach to trustworthiness was adopted, and I employed the services of an independent coder - an experienced psychiatric nursing specialist - to assist. Thereafter a consensus discussion was held. Ethical principles were adhered to throughout the study. The findings of the research were discussed in the light of literature relevant to this research study and similar studies will be used to verify the findings. Tesch’s method of data analysis was utilised in analysing the data of this research study. The findings revealed that participants experience significant emotional distress as a result of both verbal and physical aggression by mental health care users. Aggressive behaviour was recognised by the participants as being the outcome of interplay between numerous interactional and contextual factors. Participants may at times, experience conflict between their job mandate – to care for the mental health care users – and their need for personal safety. This often results in a sense of ambivalence towards those they care for, as well as towards their job. The participants were of the opinion that they should be offered counselling or debriefing services by management after exposure to aggressive incidents in order to recuperate from the anxiety-provoking situation they encountered. They also mentioned that they do not receive enough training in handling aggressive mental health care users, hence at times they feel demotivated. Guidelines to facilitate the mental health of nursing personnel who have been exposed to aggression by mental health care users, were formulated and recommendations were made to psychiatric nursing practice, psychiatric nursing education and psychiatric research. Evaluation of the study was done and the role of an advanced psychiatric nurse in mobilising resources to facilitate the mental health of psychiatric nurses and assistant nurses working in a psychiatric institution who have been exposed to aggression by mental health care users, was outlined.