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Accessible summary What is known on the subject? The concept of compassion is well documented in the healthcare literature but has received limited attention in mental health nursing., What this paper adds to existing knowledge? Mental health nurses struggle with defining compassion. The study, with its limitations, brings greater clarity to the meaning of compassion for community mental health nurses and NHS organizations., Mental health nurses need time to reflect on their provision of compassionate care., What are the implications for practice? The study has shown that compassion is important for NHS healthcare management, frontline mental health nurses and policy-makers in UK, and there is potential for sharing practice and vision across NHS organisations., Mental health nurses could benefit from training to facilitate their understanding of compassionate practices., Emphasis should be placed on the importance of self-compassion and how this can be nurtured from the secure base of clinical supervision., Abstract Introduction There is increasing emphasis in policy, research and practice in the UK and internationally on the importance of caring in health care. Compassion needs to be at the core of all healthcare professionals' practice. Recently, health care has received negative attention through media and government reports which cite a lack of compassion in care. Rationale The concept of compassion has received limited attention in community mental health nursing. Aim Based on data taken from semi-structured interviews with community mental health nurses, this paper aims to describe interpretations and perspectives of compassion to gain insight and development of its meaning. Method A naturalistic, interpretive approach was taken to the study. Semi-structured interviews with nine mental health nurses were analysed using Burnard's 14-step model of thematic analysis. Findings The research illuminates the complexity of compassion and how its practice impacts on emotional responses and relationships with self, patients, colleagues and the employing organization. Participants identified difficulties engaging with compassionate practice whilst recognizing it as a driving force underpinning provision of care. Implications for practice Mental health nurses need to be supported to work towards a greater understanding of compassionate care for clinical practice and the need for self-compassion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is an effective model of brief psychotherapy., Evidence suggests that nurses can be trained to deliver SFBT with only a few days training., It has been argued that SFBT reflects the core values of nursing practice, but no empirical research has been undertaken to validate this assertion., What does this paper add to existing knowledge? This is the first time the impact of such training on nurses' sense of professional and personal identity has been explored., Drawing upon data derived from twenty interviews, this paper explores the key themes reported by nurses in relation to their personal experience of training in SFBT., This paper extends our understanding of the lived experience of mental health nurses and facilitates discussion on the preparation and practice of their role., What are the implications for practice? Training in SFBT can provide a framework for nurses to empower their clients/patients to take control of their own recovery in a shared and trusting relationship., Training in SFBT can enhance nurses' sense of trust in their clients., Training in solution-focused interactions may provide a framework for many nurses to provide the type of collaborative, patient-led care they aspire to., Abstract Introduction SFBT is a psychotherapeutic model that aims to 'build solutions' rather than 'solve problems'. It has evolved into a structured communication framework utilized across a range of disciplines, focusing on the future, as opposed to the past, and on participant's strengths and abilities, as opposed to their problems and deficits. There have been no studies exploring the experience of training in SFBT from the perspective of the nurses being trained. Aim This study sought to explore the experience of nurses who had completed a six-month training course in SFBT. Methods Using a qualitative methodology, 20 nurses who had undertaken SFBT training were interviewed at various locations across Scotland. Results Five main themes emerged from analysis of the 20 interviews. Many of the participants reported increased trust in their clients and enhanced role satisfaction. Implications for Practice Training in SFBT provides nurses with an alternative model of practice to the dominant 'medical' and 'psychological' models of contemporary practice. The experiences of the participants in this study suggest that SFBT can be a useful intervention in nursing practice and that nurses can easily incorporate SFBT into their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]