Nurse-patient relationships on acute inpatient mental health units.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The development of nurse-patient relationships on acute inpatient mental health units: a grounded theory study.
IRAS ID
335120
Contact name
Kimete Berisha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
The current study will try to come up with a way of understanding the development of therapeutic relationships between nurses and patients on acute inpatient mental health units. The aim of the study is to develop a new theory about this process that is grounded in the experiences of patients and nurses. The study hopes to generate a greater understanding of nurse-patient relationships and how they might be improved and facilitated.
Relationships are recognised as a vital part of mental health care (Seager et al., 2007). Patient voices have cited high-quality relationships as the most important aspect of their care, but tend to be critical of relationships with staff when being looked after on acute units (Stenhouse et al., 2010; Staniszewska et al., 2019). There have been few recent attempts to theorise the nurse-patient relationship in these settings, and limited research combining patient and nurse perspectives. This study will consider how patients and nurses navigate the complexities of this environment to form meaningful therapeutic relationships.
Adults over the age of 18, who are currently being cared for on a NHS acute inpatient mental health unit, will be invited to take part in a one-off hour-long interview to talk about their experiences of their relationships with nurses on the unit. Similarly, mental health nurses working at an NHS acute inpatient mental health unit will be invited for a one-off hour-long interview to speak about their experiences of their relationships with patients on the unit. Interviews of both patients and staff will take place at the acute unit where participants have been recruited. The interviews will be transcribed and analysed using a qualitative methodology, which looks for themes in what patients and nurses have spoken about. All participants will be invited to give feedback on the results of the study.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/1539
Date of REC Opinion
8 May 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion