Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm

Self‐harm is a significant health issue, a leading cause of serious injury and is an indicator of psychological distress. Nurses play an important role in providing therapeutic care to people who self‐harm. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses’ (MHNs) experience of working with...

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Main Authors: McGough, Shirley, Wynaden, Dianne, Ngune, Irene, Janerka, Carrie, Hasking, Penelope, Rees, Clare
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2020
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81663
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author McGough, Shirley
Wynaden, Dianne
Ngune, Irene
Janerka, Carrie
Hasking, Penelope
Rees, Clare
author_facet McGough, Shirley
Wynaden, Dianne
Ngune, Irene
Janerka, Carrie
Hasking, Penelope
Rees, Clare
author_sort McGough, Shirley
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Self‐harm is a significant health issue, a leading cause of serious injury and is an indicator of psychological distress. Nurses play an important role in providing therapeutic care to people who self‐harm. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses’ (MHNs) experience of working with people who self‐harm. Data were collected using semi‐structured interviews and transcribed verbatim from 14 MHNs across Australia. Elo and Kyngäs’ inductive content analysis was used to extract meaning from the data which is reported in accordance with the consolidated criteria for qualitative research guidelines (COREQ). Two categories were identified which captured the MHNs’ experiences of working with people who self‐harm: (i) Nurses’ level of preparedness to work with people who self‐harm; and (ii) The healthcare system. Several sub‐categories were identified. Attitudes, knowledge, skills, and support from others influenced their experience of working with people who self‐harm. Clinical and life experience, undergraduate programme preparation and ongoing education all contributed towards developing therapeutic care with this group of patients. Nurses are vital in the care of people who self‐harm and an accurate understanding of the functions of self‐harm focuses therapeutic interactions to manage psychological distress and reduce further self‐harm and lessen the risk of suicide.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-816632021-02-23T06:28:25Z Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm McGough, Shirley Wynaden, Dianne Ngune, Irene Janerka, Carrie Hasking, Penelope Rees, Clare Self‐harm is a significant health issue, a leading cause of serious injury and is an indicator of psychological distress. Nurses play an important role in providing therapeutic care to people who self‐harm. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses’ (MHNs) experience of working with people who self‐harm. Data were collected using semi‐structured interviews and transcribed verbatim from 14 MHNs across Australia. Elo and Kyngäs’ inductive content analysis was used to extract meaning from the data which is reported in accordance with the consolidated criteria for qualitative research guidelines (COREQ). Two categories were identified which captured the MHNs’ experiences of working with people who self‐harm: (i) Nurses’ level of preparedness to work with people who self‐harm; and (ii) The healthcare system. Several sub‐categories were identified. Attitudes, knowledge, skills, and support from others influenced their experience of working with people who self‐harm. Clinical and life experience, undergraduate programme preparation and ongoing education all contributed towards developing therapeutic care with this group of patients. Nurses are vital in the care of people who self‐harm and an accurate understanding of the functions of self‐harm focuses therapeutic interactions to manage psychological distress and reduce further self‐harm and lessen the risk of suicide. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81663 10.1111/inm.12814 Wiley-Blackwell restricted
spellingShingle McGough, Shirley
Wynaden, Dianne
Ngune, Irene
Janerka, Carrie
Hasking, Penelope
Rees, Clare
Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title_full Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title_fullStr Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title_full_unstemmed Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title_short Mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
title_sort mental health nurses’ perspectives of people who self-harm
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81663