Nurses’ roles in systematic patient education sessions in psychiatric nursing

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  This study aimed to identify nurses’ roles in systematic patient education sessions in psychiatric inpatient care.
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  Nurses working in psychiatric hospitals have different roles in systematic patient education and they are ready and willing to tailor their roles according to patients’ individual needs.
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  Patient education with new methods, such as using information technology, has some potential to empower patients with serious mental health disorders to cope in their daily lives.
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  Hospital organizations should prepare themselves for new cultures and staff’s skills to incorporate a new tool in their daily practices should be ensured.

The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of nurses’ expectations of their roles in systematic patient education in psychiatric inpatient care. Qualitative design was used in the study. The data were collected through interviews with nurses participating in the implementation of systematic patient education (information technology (IT) based patient education n= 14, or conventional patient education n= 16). The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The analysis showed that nurses had different roles in both IT-based and conventional patient education. Nurses acted as learners, advisors, collaborators, teachers or limiters. The nurses tailored the role in each session according to the patients’ interest and mental status. We can conclude that nurses working in psychiatric hospitals have different roles in systematic patient education and they are ready and willing to tailor their roles according to patients’ individual needs. Information technology should be adopted without delay as a new treatment method in daily practice in psychiatric services. It has potential to support equality between patient and nurse in secluded environments.