Helpful encounters with mental health nurses in Australia: A survey of service users and their supporters.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Successive inquiries into mental health services in Australia have identified the need for major reform of services and proposed a return to direct-entry nursing training. To identify what service users, family and supporters have found helpful in their encounters with nurses in mental health settings. A survey of 95 service users and supporters rated the importance of the capabilities and competencies of nurses. They also shared examples of helpful encounters with nurses which were subject to thematic analysis. The most highly rated competencies were around demonstrating caring, empathy and understanding, and responding effectively in crisis situations. Helpful encounters involved enacted values, highly skilful interpersonal and psychotherapeutic engagement and practices that were facilitative and supportive. The process and content of pre-registration nursing training needs to refocus on the nurse meeting the needs of service users and supporters, rather than the instrumental needs of services today. Educational reform may be necessary but insufficient to address anticipated nursing workforce shortages. Policymakers and health service directors need to align services with mental health nursing values and promote practices aligned with what service users and their supporters report as helpful.