NURSES' VIEWS ON SITUATIONS RELATED TO PRIVACY IN PROVIDING HOME CARE FOR PERSONS WITH LONG-TERM MENTAL ILLNESS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Abstract

The main aim of this exploratory study was to explore the views of nurses and mental health care workers on situations related to patient privacy in the home care of persons with long-term mental illness in Sweden. A specifically designed questionnaire was developed from theoretical constructs obtained in a qualitative study and distributed to 1,139 respondents. Data from 660 district nurses, psychiatric nurses, and mental health care workers revealed significant differences in perceptions by age, gender, and professional groups. For example, psychiatric nurses and mental health care workers indicated to a greater extent than district nurses feelings that relate to intrusion on patient privacy. Respondents who were 41 years or younger also indicated to a greater extent than those who were older that they felt home care was an intrusion on patient privacy. Moreover, men indicated to a greater extent than women feelings of insecurity in their professional role. Further investigation is needed, especially into how nurses deal with situations that intrude on patient privacy and how nursing intervention impacts on the patients' own sense of privacy.