Psychiatric Nursing in Italy: an Extinguished Profession or an Emerging Professionalism?

Abstract

Ten years after the introduction of the psychiatric reform in Italy, a case study was undertaken in Santhia' (near Turin) on the experience of psychiatric nursing, to investigate nurses' perceptions of community psychiatric work as compared to their experience of the hospital setting. Members of a nursing team attached to a CMHC were interviewed, and observation of their work over a period of six months followed. Other team members--such as doctors, psychologists and social workers were also interviewed, to gather an overview, and to investigate the interaction of the specific organisational framework with nursing professional culture. The findings suggest that the move to the community has led to an emerging psychiatric nursing professional identity related to the opportunity for nurses to experience professional practices other than the medical and custodial forms, which were typical of the hospital setting.