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People with severe mental ill‐health have lower life expectancies than the rest of the population, partly due to unhealthy lifestyles. Counselling to help these people improve their health can also be complex, and registered nurses are key to its success. The aim of this study was to elucidate registered nurses' experiences of providing health counselling to people living with severe mental ill‐health in supported housing. We conducted eight individual semi‐structured interviews with registered nurses working in this context and subjected the responses to qualitative content analysis. The results show that registered nurses who counsel people with severe mental ill‐health feel dispirited, but they defend their often fruitless endeavours and strive, through health counselling, to help these people meet healthier lifestyle goals. Shifting the focus from traditional health counselling to person‐centred care using health‐promoting conversations could strengthen registered nurses in their efforts towards improving lifestyles among people living with severe mental ill‐health in supported housing. Therefore, to facilitate healthier lifestyles among this population, we recommend that community healthcare support registered nurses working in supported housing by educating them in the use of health‐promoting conversations, including teach‐back techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of nurses and nursing in CAP inpatient care is unclear, and nurses are at risk of moral distress due to having to deal with complex demands while lacking organizational support. This study aimed to describe nurses' and assistant nurses' experiences working in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. Eight nurses and seven assistant nurses working in a child and adolescent ward in Sweden participated in the study. Data were collected in 2019 using semi‐structured qualitative interviews and subject to qualitative content analysis. Results describe nurses' and assistant nurses' experiences of child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care in one theme, Constrained nursing, and four categories: Striving to be there for children and parents; Finding a way to manage work; Depending on others; Lacking nursing leadership. Findings suggest that good, person‐centred and recovery‐oriented nursing practice can exist in CAP inpatient care but remain unrecognized and lacking support due to unclear roles and responsibilities and lack of nursing leadership. This study is reported in accordance with the COREQ guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with mental ill health attend general emergency care more often than others for physical and psychiatric care needs. Staff in general emergency care report they lack knowledge and strategies to meet with and care for people with mental ill health. This study aimed to describe how people with mental ill health experience encounters with staff in general emergency care. We conducted individual semi‐structured interviews with 11 people with mental ill health about their experiences in general emergency care and subjected the interview data to qualitative content analysis. Our results show the importance to people with mental ill health of being acknowledged as capable persons, and how this relates to their experiences of being recognized, ignored, or dismissed by staff in general emergency care. Even small, ordinary aspects of staff/patient interactions can have major impacts on a person's recovery and well‐being. The study is reported according to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lack of meaningful activities for people with mental ill health admitted to psychiatric inpatient care has been related to feelings of boredom and 'doing nothing' and is not in line with recovery‐oriented care. Staff in psychiatric inpatient care report having limited time, ambiguous responsibilities, and insufficient support that counteracts their ideals of good nursing care and puts them at risk for high levels of stress and stress of conscience. Research highlights a need for interactions between patients and staff, but few nursing interventions with such a focus are described in the literature. This qualitative study aimed to illuminate staff experiences of introducing and participating in the nursing intervention Time Together, via qualitative content analysis of 17 individual semi‐structured interviews with nursing staff in psychiatric inpatient care. The results show that these staff members experienced Time Together as an arena for mental health nursing. They prepared for the introduction of the intervention by laying a framework for success. Although the actual implementation led to them feeling burdened, they found that Time Together fostered relationships between patients and staff. For successful implementation, mental health nurses need to advocate the intervention. As Time Together constitutes an arena for mental health nursing, play and conversations based on reciprocity and equality can contribute to patients' recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients find forensic psychiatric care inadequate in that they are not treated as individuals and not involved in their own care. The purpose of this study was to describe patients' experiences and perceptions of forensic psychiatric inpatient care. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 inpatients. A qualitative content analysis resulted in a recurring theme, 'I know what I need to recover', and three main categories: 'A need for meaning in a meagre existence', 'A need to be a person in an impersonal context', and 'A need for empowerment in a restricted life'. Participants experienced and perceived forensic care as predominantly monotonous, predetermined, and not adapted to them as individuals, forcing them to fight and adapt to get through it and not lose themselves. Perceived needs were largely ignored or opposed by staff due to the content and structure of care. Findings suggest a need for reflective practices and patient involvement in order to develop and maintain a person‐centred and recovery‐oriented nursing practice. The study adds to previous research showing the importance of patients in forensic psychiatric inpatient care being listened to and involved in their care. The study is reported in accordance with the COREQ guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Swedish mental health‐care services are experiencing a critical shortage of nursing personnel. Researchers suggest that this shortage is due to low levels of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is frequently studied with the assistance of Herzberg's two‐factor theory, and this theory has foremost been explored with studies using quantitative methods. The purpose of the present study was to provide a better understanding of Herzberg's theory in relation to job satisfaction among Swedish mental health nursing personnel within inpatient psychiatric care while using qualitative methodology. This explorative study was based on semistructured interviews with 25 nursing personnel. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts identified three main categories: (i) respondents' perception of their work duties, which was perceived as important, meaningful, and demanding; (ii) respondents' relations with colleagues and supervisors, which provided valuable support in everyday work; and (iii) the way the respondents experienced their professional role as mental health nurses, which was described as unclear and vague. Job satisfaction primarily stemmed from working for patients and with other professionals, but their perceived limited progression of responsibilities discouraged a career in the profession. Herzberg's theory proved useful in exploring job satisfaction in this setting, but the findings partly contradict the basic tenets of the theory. Career advancements and incentives, such as salary and compensation, were perceived as lacking, which negatively influenced job satisfaction. Ward managers should establish clinical ladder programmes to recognize and motivate the continuing professional development of nurses. This needs to be coupled with monetary incentives, and linked with increased clinical authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is well known that people with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy and a greater risk of being affected by preventable physical illnesses such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. There are still, however, only a few published studies focusing on what enables healthy living for this group. This study thus aimed to describe what enables healthy living among people with severe mental illness in psychiatric outpatient services. The data were collected in qualitative interviews (n = 16) and content analysis was used to analyze the data. The interviews resulted in an overall theme “Being regarded as a whole human being by self and others”, which showed the multidimensional nature of health and the issues that enable healthy living among people with severe mental illness. Three categories emerged: (i) everyday structure (ii), motivating life events and (iii) support from significant others. The results indicate that a person with severe mental illness needs to be encountered as a whole person if healthy living is to be enabled. Attaining healthy living requires collaboration between the providers of care, help and support. Health care organizations need to work together to develop and provide interventions to enable healthy living and to reduce poor physical health among people with severe mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic nurse-patient relationships are considered essential for good nursing practice in psychiatric inpatient care. Previous research suggests that inpatient care fails to fulfil patients' expectations in this regard, and that nurses might experience the reality of inpatient care as an obstruction. The aim of the present study was to explore nurses' and assistant nurses' experiences of good nursing practice in the specific context of psychiatric inpatient care. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 skilled, relationship-oriented nurses and assistant nurses in order to explore their experiences with nursing practice related to psychiatric inpatient care. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using an interpretive descriptive approach. Findings describe good nursing practice as a matter of nurses and assistant nurses taking personal responsibility for their actions and for the individual patient as a person. Difficulties in providing dignified nursing care and taking personal responsibility cause them to experience feelings of distress and frustration. Shared values and nursing leadership supports being moral and treating patients with respect, having enough time supports being present and connecting with patients, and working as a part of a competent team with critical daily discussions and diversity supports being confident and building trust. The findings suggest that taking personal responsibility is integral to good nursing practice. If unable to improve poor circumstances, nurses might be forced to promote their own survival by refuting or redefining their responsibility. Nurses need to prioritize being with patients and gain support in shaping their own nursing practice. Nursing leadership should provide moral direction and defend humanistic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]