This study adds epidemiological weight to the implementation of health maintenance strategies and risk management procedures to reduce the risk of violent outcomes in individuals with mental health disorders (specifically, substance use disorder, psychosis, and ‘personality disorders’). The findings highlight how experiences of victimisation and perpetration are more often comorbid, with experiences of both victimisation and perpetration more common than an experience of only one of the outcomes.
Implications for practice and research:
Trauma-informed care (TIC) in acute mental healthcare settings is inhibited by mental health nurses’ experiences of being unsafe, their lack of emotion management skills and their involvement in coercive practices.
Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between mental health nurses’ emotional intelligence and their ability to implement TIC.
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The role of digital technology in the delivery of patient care was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic when remote triage and consultations became part of everyday practice in healthcare settings. Yet despite growing evidence that a digitally literate nursing workforce can support and enhance patient safety and outcomes, many nurses report a reluctance to engage in the use of digital technology.
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Evidence-based practice is vital to nursing, and health and social care, but research suggests it is less widespread than it should be. One reason may be that front-line practitioners do not always have the support, time and knowledge to search for and review evidence.
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Leaving the nursing profession can cause some people to have a sense of lost identity. Find out how you can plan ahead, emotionally and practically, and also work toward a new purpose
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Advice for non-specialist nurses on adapting practice for people with a learning disability and autistic people
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Findings Several barriers and facilitators to the use of digital technology were identified, including around infrastructure, time, skills, training, support, leadership, familiarity and confidence. The use of digital technology may enhance care consistency and increase patient autonomy, but it may also erode nurse-patient relationships.
Conclusion Digital technology can enhance patient care but organisational barriers, notably in relation to digital literacy training, need to be addressed for nurses to fully adopt it.
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To understand how small group teaching sessions can assist participants to learn new knowledge and skills
To learn how to plan a small group teaching session by setting aims and learning outcomes
To appreciate the importance of assessing participants’ learning and addressing gaps in their understanding throughout the delivery of small group teaching sessions
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There has been a steep rise in mental health referrals for children and a lack of capacity to deal with it. Dual registration could be an answer. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Knowing how to build a strong business case is a valuable skill for nurses in any band or setting as it means you can demonstrate the value of your work or proposed projects. With NHS funding severely stretched, organisational leaders are continually making difficult decisions about where to invest and where to cut back. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Humanised care refers to the holistic approach to the person, considering their bio-psycho-social and behavioural dimensions. It becomes more complex when the person has mental health problems that may affect his or her will, cognition and relationship to the world. The literature on the humanisation of mental health is scarce and only offers the view of professionals. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
While the negative effects of trauma on nurses have been well-documented, it is equally important to focus on ways to promote posttraumatic growth (PTG) among nurses. This study aims to explore the levels and related factors of PTG among nurses. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Previous research has indicated that community-based mental health services in Iran are restricted, leading to overcrowding in psychiatric wards. This overcrowding has been linked to a range of problems, such as violence, suicide and medical errors. Despite the abundance of research on patient safety, there is still a lack of understanding regarding how mental health nurses (MHNs) create a secure environment within these wards. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Managing issues such as suicide risk and sexual assault while showing leadership as an event medic was confidence-boosting
In the second year of my mental health nursing degree studies, I spent two weeks in Italy working with a medical response team at a university sports event.
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This study provides further evidence that forensic mental health nurses are frequently exposed to various forms of patient aggression. For some nurses, this exposure to patient aggression negatively impacted their mental and physical health. Employing organizations should therefore prioritize provision of formal support for nurses.
Open Access Article
Personality disorder is a serious mental health condition affecting up to 52% of psychiatric outpatients and 70% of inpatients and forensic patients. People with a diagnosis of personality disorder have higher morbidity and mortality than those without.
Service users and carers reported a lack of training for staff in the management of individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder, particularly with regard to self-harm and suicidal behaviours.
Staff burnout creates barriers to compassionate person-centred care for individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder as staff struggled to accommodate the nature of the presentation when under significant emotional, psychological and professional strain caused by understaffing and lack of support.
Self-care is essential for nurses' wellbeing, with stress posing a major barrier. Research into self-care is often absorbed into studies of burnout or resilience. Understanding lived experiences of influences on nurses' self-care practices is essential. There is currently a paucity of literature on this topic.
We asked ChatGPT basic questions about a fictitious person who presents with self-harm and then evaluated the quality of the output. We found that the output could look reasonable to laypersons but there were significant errors and ethical issues. There are potential harms to people in care if AI is used without an expert correcting or removing these errors.
Mentalizing is the capacity to understand both one‘s own and other people‘s behaviour in terms of mental states, such as, for example, desires, feelings and beliefs.
The mentalizing capacities of healthcare professionals help to establish effective therapeutic relationships and, in turn, lead to better patient outcomes.
This debate essay proposes possible remedies to the shortage of nurses in acute inpatient mental health settings and draws inspiration from a Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing editorial, Glascott and McKeown (2022, 29, 767).
this article discusses the benefits for nurse leaders to explore a new approach known as quantum leadership. This is a relationship-focused and value-based leadership style in which leaders understand that healthcare organisations have been in a state of flux and recognise how to respond constructively to change in the future. Quantum leadership enables nurse leaders to create and maintain synergistic team working, whereby the team works together towards the common goal of delivering optimal person-centred care. The author suggests that quantum leadership is an engaging and realistic approach to adopt, with benefits of all staff delivering healthcare services and ultimately for patients. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Aggression is a feature of many nurses’ working lives. Some see surveillance technology as a deterrent, others worry it undermines trust
Nurses groped by patients and even by colleagues. Inappropriate comments about someone’s appearance or sex life. Patients masturbating while staff try to deliver care. Threats of rape. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Ill health makes us vulnerable, and mental ill health that requires inpatient care, sometimes for weeks or months, even more so. Most mental health professionals strive to develop a therapeutic relationship with the people they care for that is underpinned by compassion, trust and safety. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
In this unique role, nurses offer clinical, professional and well-being support to colleagues
Professional nurse advocates (PNAs) provide professional clinical leadership in their clinical settings, says the RCN. This includes leading quality improvement programmes, developing positive learning cultures, and facilitating restorative clinical supervision (RCS) of nurses and healthcare staff, a process that supports individuals to have reflective conversations involving open feedback. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
A mental health nurse and lecturer suggests ways to approach people’s distress related to hearing voices.
Many mental health nurses (MHNs) and practitioners lack the knowledge and confidence to support people who hear voices. They may struggle to know how to help a person who is distressed by their voice hearing in a way that is meaningful and effective. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Two mental health nurses on how formulaic progress notes undermine advances made by the specialty.
Mental health nurses are professional and analytical, with a wealth of clinical knowledge and skills. But for some reason, our note-taking does not reflect the great strides the profession has made. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Vision-based monitoring is often used in mental health settings to observe patients but has become controversial.
Digital technologies are transforming the way healthcare is delivered. In mental health, non-contact patient observation systems have become popular in recent years to monitor patients and keep a check on their vital signs. But the technology has also caused some controversy with concerns raised about privacy issues. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Veteran-friendly practices aim to overcome this vulnerable group’s tendency to avoid seeking out help.
Mental health disorders are common in military veterans. Part of the challenge is that they are a hard-to-reach group who are reluctant to seek help. This leads to unnecessary delays in addressing operationally attributable mental health issues, often left until they are in crisis. To remedy this, veteran-friendly accredited general practices and military charities can work with nurses to support the mental health and well-being of veterans. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Massage therapy has recognised psychological benefits, yet it is rarely used in forensic mental health settings. In 2022, ten-minute sessions of seated chair massage – where recipients remain fully clothed – were offered to patients and staff at a secure forensic mental health and learning disability service in the UK. This article is a service evaluation of the impact of providing these sessions. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
There is a paucity of research on mental health nursing students’ experiences of witnessing physical restraint in practice, despite the fact that they spend half of their time in clinical placements. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Personality disorder is a contentious diagnostic label that is associated with high levels of stigma, leading many practitioners and people with lived experience to call for a change in its use. Mental health nurses frequently encounter people who have received a diagnosis of personality disorder in various settings. This article provides a critique of this diagnosis and discusses the issues that are associated with this label. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The authors concluded that the meta-analysis: 'revealed small to moderate positive effects of resilience training on resilience and other mental health outcomes immediately post-intervention (resilience, wellbeing) and in the short-term (anxiety symptoms, [perceived] stress), while there was a lack of evidence for training effects on depressive symptoms or any outcome at later follow-ups.'
In part two of her two-part series on mental health, Sarah Palmer sign-posts community nurses towards relevant services, in cases where they may come across a patient with mental health issues. Furthermore, a case for digitally enabled mental health care is made by the author, as this would let individuals receive help sooner.
This integrative review aims to explore existing literature regarding mental health service users' experiences of telehealth interventions facilitated through the COVID-19 pandemic, to determine the visibility of nursing involvement in the facilitation of telehealth interventions and to use these experiences to inform nursing practice.
Citizens identifying as Black and Minority Ethic (BAME) face barriers and disadvantage across many areas of life, including housing, employment, and education. In the context of mental health, considerable research highlights the overrepresentation of people from BAME backgrounds in inpatient mental health services, with a recent international meta-analysis finding that BAME and migrant groups are at far greater risk of being detained under mental health legislation than any other ethnic group (Barnett et al., 2019).
While clinical reflection has been an essential aspect of nursing practice for many years, some nurses may still find it challenging to constructively engage with this process and may not recognise the benefits and learning that can result from it. This article provides practical guidance for nurses on how to undertake reflection, to support them to reflect regularly as part of their practice. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
• Reflection is a process of engaging with and learning from one’s thoughts, emotions and actions in a supportive and critical manner.
• Reflection can assist nurses to learn from practice, support team working and promote self-care.
• Nurses can reflect alone or with others, and there are various structured models of reflection that they can use to support them.
This article describes several leadership models which all have something to offer to nurses looking to develop their ward leadership skills. It discusses core elements of effective ward leadership, notably providing support and direction to the team through coaching and mentoring, developing the ward as a learning environment, understanding the wider care context and taking time for self-care. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
In conclusion, the study suggests that most patients and staff do not believe that body-worn cameras will achieve their aim of preventing violence and aggression. They perceive violence and aggression to have complex underlying causes, including unmet needs in the immediate as well as the wider context. Indeed, there is a risk that body-worn cameras will “mask structural issues” (p.19) and “exacerbate epistemic injustice” rather than prevent violence and aggression.
Suicide is a leading cause of death for children and young people and its prevention is a global priority. Many Mental Health Services employ safety planning as a brief intervention. There is some evidence of safety planning effectiveness for adults, but little is known about its effectiveness with young people.
Following research into the application of Electronic Monitoring (EM), Criminal Justice Order (2016) no. 954 was published, which introduced EM for offenders leaving custody in England and Wales (Ministry of Justice, 2016). EM was later extended to include those subjected to release on temporary licence (ROTL). The purpose of this study is to be the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to evaluate a pilot project using EM during the ROTL process. The outcome allowed for recommendations to be made regarding the continued use of EM within the open prison estate. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
When the regulator updated its proficiency standards for nurse education it was seen as a step forward, but now there are fears training has become too generic
It is almost five years since the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) overhauled its proficiency standards, which provide the basis for nurse education. It heralded a new dawn for the profession. Out went the separate requirements for the four different fields of nursing and in their place came a generic set of standards designed to equip nurses for the fast-changing nature of 21st century care. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
A healthy and valued workforce is vital for safe and compassionate mental healthcare. That was my take-home from the recent senior leadership symposium on advancing and sustaining the mental health nursing workforce. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The popularity of the nurse well-being app has inspired a new version offering personalised support for students. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
With as many as one in three nursing students leaving their course before they complete it, a new free app will offer personalised support to those who are struggling.
An intervention strategy that helps nurses deal with distressing or traumatic incidents, or crisis situations. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Psychological first aid (PFA) is an intervention strategy to support people in severe distress following crisis events. These traumatic events might include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes or trauma experienced in nursing work, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Off-duty texts or meeting-up with patients could indicate that boundaries have been blurred, and consequences could be severe. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Positive and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships are crucial to building the trust and respect that enables nurses to provide the best possible care.
Mental health nurses working in inpatient settings are at increased risk of being assaulted by patients. Systematic reviews have synthesised predominantly quantitative evidence relating to the prevalence, contributing factors, effects and adverse outcomes of violence towards mental health nurses. This article details a systematic review that used a meta-aggregative approach to synthesise qualitative evidence on the experiences of mental health nurses who have been assaulted by patients in inpatient settings. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The aim of this study is to explore nurses' experiences of seclusion or restraint use and their participation in immediate staff debriefing in inpatient mental health settings.
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Coercive measures represent an ethical conflict because they limit the person's freedom, compromising their personal autonomy, self-determination and fundamental rights.
The reduction of the use of coercive measures implies not only regulations and mental health systems, but also cultural aspects, such as societal beliefs, attitudes, and values.
There is evidence about the professionals' views on coercion in acute mental health care units and community settings, but they remain unexplored in inpatient rehabilitation units.
Nurses work in mental health services around the world, constituting the largest professional group.
Nurses have been identified as being potentially able to carry out a much wider range of functions than are typically allowed in practice, when provided with suitable training.
There are long-term concerns regarding shortages of mental health nurses in England and many other countries.
Workforce data is rarely subject to analysis in peer-reviewed journals.