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Forensic psychiatric nursing care--nurses apprehension of their responsibility and work content: a Swedish survey

Rask, M and Rahm Hallberg, Ingalill LU (2000) In Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 7(2). p.163-177
Abstract
This questionnaire study aimed to investigate nurses' views regarding the areas of responsibility, work content and the theoretical perspectives found to dominate nursing duties in Swedish forensic care. The sample (n = 350) was chosen randomly from the five forensic units which provide treatment for patients in Sweden and there was a response rate of 70% (n = 246). The role of the nurses consisted mainly of actions related to activities of daily living (ADL)-activities. It is worth noting that, within the area of ADL-activities, practical work on the ward was the nurses' most common responsibility as well as work content. Less dominating aspects, were educating patients' families, leading group discussions with family or patients,... (More)
This questionnaire study aimed to investigate nurses' views regarding the areas of responsibility, work content and the theoretical perspectives found to dominate nursing duties in Swedish forensic care. The sample (n = 350) was chosen randomly from the five forensic units which provide treatment for patients in Sweden and there was a response rate of 70% (n = 246). The role of the nurses consisted mainly of actions related to activities of daily living (ADL)-activities. It is worth noting that, within the area of ADL-activities, practical work on the ward was the nurses' most common responsibility as well as work content. Less dominating aspects, were educating patients' families, leading group discussions with family or patients, co-operating with social authorities as well as activities related to life outside the unit. There were no significant differences with regard to gender but several differences between registered nurses (RNs) and licensed mental nurses (LMNs) were noted. There were mostly weak correlations between areas of responsibility or work content and theoretical perspectives. The results thus suggest that nurses in forensic care view their work to be mainly directed at patients' capacity for ADL-activities, medical psychiatric actions, informing and educating patients and families and assessing patients. An even greater emphasis on these aspects may be warranted because of the patients' serious deficits in social and life skills. It may be useful to consider an increased focus on a psycho-educational approach and to develop and test methods focusing on the development of patients' capacity for activities related to daily living in a broad sense. Further research is needed to investigate whether the aspects that dominate nursing care also coincide with what the patients apprehend as beneficial for their recovery. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nursing theories, nurses' role, nurses' responsibility, nurses' assignment, forensic psychiatric nursing care
in
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
volume
7
issue
2
pages
163 - 177
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:11146912
  • scopus:0442281634
ISSN
1351-0126
DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2850.2000.00280.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: The VĂ¥rdal Institute (016540000)
id
b7e416a6-2c03-4412-81af-e28963def5f2 (old id 1116951)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:19:52
date last changed
2022-01-28 18:55:55
@article{b7e416a6-2c03-4412-81af-e28963def5f2,
  abstract     = {{This questionnaire study aimed to investigate nurses' views regarding the areas of responsibility, work content and the theoretical perspectives found to dominate nursing duties in Swedish forensic care. The sample (n = 350) was chosen randomly from the five forensic units which provide treatment for patients in Sweden and there was a response rate of 70% (n = 246). The role of the nurses consisted mainly of actions related to activities of daily living (ADL)-activities. It is worth noting that, within the area of ADL-activities, practical work on the ward was the nurses' most common responsibility as well as work content. Less dominating aspects, were educating patients' families, leading group discussions with family or patients, co-operating with social authorities as well as activities related to life outside the unit. There were no significant differences with regard to gender but several differences between registered nurses (RNs) and licensed mental nurses (LMNs) were noted. There were mostly weak correlations between areas of responsibility or work content and theoretical perspectives. The results thus suggest that nurses in forensic care view their work to be mainly directed at patients' capacity for ADL-activities, medical psychiatric actions, informing and educating patients and families and assessing patients. An even greater emphasis on these aspects may be warranted because of the patients' serious deficits in social and life skills. It may be useful to consider an increased focus on a psycho-educational approach and to develop and test methods focusing on the development of patients' capacity for activities related to daily living in a broad sense. Further research is needed to investigate whether the aspects that dominate nursing care also coincide with what the patients apprehend as beneficial for their recovery.}},
  author       = {{Rask, M and Rahm Hallberg, Ingalill}},
  issn         = {{1351-0126}},
  keywords     = {{nursing theories; nurses' role; nurses' responsibility; nurses' assignment; forensic psychiatric nursing care}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{163--177}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing}},
  title        = {{Forensic psychiatric nursing care--nurses apprehension of their responsibility and work content: a Swedish survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2850.2000.00280.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1046/j.1365-2850.2000.00280.x}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}