What makes an excellent mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived experience of service use

Abstract

Mental health nurses are in challenging positions. They have the opportunity to support people hospitalized for the treatment of mental illnesses on their recovery journeys, but are simultaneously required to manage a burgeoning administrative burden, maintain organizational 'order', and contain risk. While obliged by policy to engender an environment that promotes recovery, they receive little guidance about how this should be achieved. When feedback from people hospitalized in our service indicated the experience of care was variable, we undertook a pragmatic inquiry examining consumers' views about what makes an excellent mental health nurse. We interviewed 20 people with lived experience of hospitalization and analysed transcripts thematically. To ensure findings were relevant and useful, we consulted mental health nurses about nurses' needs, and incorporated this with the views of service users. The analysis demonstrated that personal qualities, professional skills, and environmental factors all influence the experience of mental health nursing. Our findings highlight a need for renewed attention to the basics of relationships and the importance for nurses of self-awareness and support. We urge nurses to make time to really get to know the people for whom they provide care, and to work to maintain passion for mental health nursing. It seems likely that attention to the simple things has the potential to improve levels of satisfaction among service users, decrease distress, and support the development of an environment in which can nurture recovery.