Understanding the Management of People Seeking Voluntary Psychiatric Hospitalization Who Do Not Meet the Criteria for Inpatient Admission: A Qualitative Study of Mental Health Liaison Nurses Working in Accident and Emergency Departments in the North of England

Abstract

Mental health liaison nurses assess people who self-present at accident and emergency departments seeking inpatient admission, however not all presentations meet the criteria for admission. Little is known about how liaison nurses manage this client group. This qualitative study explored how liaison nurses manage this client group. This study used the think aloud technique to recreate clinical scenarios of clients requesting admission who do not meet the criteria for such admission. Participants were then subsequently interviewed. Eighteen liaison nurses working in hospitals across the North of England participated. Data were analysed using framework analysis methods. Findings indicate that the liaison nurses use a variety of therapeutic skills and methods in managing this client group. Liaison nurses were found to ‘sell’ crisis and home-based treatment as an equivalent, or superior in quality, to hospital care. However, the existing evidence base does not fully support this assertion. Liaison nurses face numerous difficulties in this role. In the absence of any formalized training, liaison nurses rely on their own clinical knowledge and expertise. Implications for future service provision and further research are discussed.