Background characteristics and exposure to violence predict well-being at work among psychiatric outpatient nurses.

AIMS: To investigate the well-being at work and analyze relevant predictors of it among nurses working in psychiatric outpatient settings including following specific objectives 1) describe the current state of well-being at work among psychiatric nurses; and 2) examine how background characteristics and exposure to violence predict well-being at work. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design. METHODS: Two-staged sampling was used to select participants from psychiatric outpatient units. Data were collected with printed Nordic Questionnaire for Monitoring the Age Diverse Workforce (QPSNordic-ADW) and Violence Incidence Assessment (VIA-Q) questionnaire from January 2019 to June 2019. Descriptive statistics were performed to summarize the collected data and binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors related to the well-being at work. RESULTS: The respondents (n = 181) generally evaluated well-being at work quite positively but were more critical towards interaction with their immediate superior, organizational culture, interaction between work and private life, and organizational commitment. Working experience in psychiatric nursing and experiences of harassment were identified as strong predictors of well-being at work. CONCLUSION: The management of healthcare organizations should discuss nursing ethics and morale more, as well as pay attention to the ethical environment to prevent moral distress among nurses. Several weaknesses seem to exist especially in the management of psychiatric outpatient units which influence nurses' well-being at work. Identification of these can help organizations to develop management and implement interventions to increase nurses' well-being at work. Conversations about the managerial culture and collegial climate should also arise at the organizational and unit levels.

Diagnosis of dementia as a turning point among Finnish families: a qualitative study.

The experiences of receiving a diagnosis of dementia from the viewpoint of people with dementia and their family members were explored in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit people with newly-diagnosed dementia (n = 8) and their family members (n = 8) from a university hospital's memory clinic in northern Finland. Data were collected using low-structured interviews, and analyzed using the stages of grounded theory. The diagnosis of dementia was a mutual turning point in the family, and it was experienced and responded to in shared processes within the family. In a changing life situation, close ones became a significant resource, and focus on the present day was emphasized. Individuals with dementia and their family members aimed to live meaningful lives by being active agents. Understanding the individual and shared experiences of both those with dementia and their family members can help health professionals design and carry out tailored early psychosocial interventions for families to assist them to create a shared understanding of living with dementia.

The effect of teaching methods in palliative care education for undergraduate nursing and medical students: a systematic review.

Background: Palliative care should be seen as a human right and integrated into the healthcare system. Adequate palliative care education is seen as a facilitator to develop the integration of palliative care. Aims: To synthesise evidence of the effect of different teaching methods used in palliative care education to students' competences, knowledge, attitude or skills. Methods: Systematic review. A total of four databases (CINAHL, Eric, PubMed and Scopus) were searched, after which, 16 articles were identified. Findings: Simulations, lectures, films and a humanistic approach all had a positive effect on students' attitudes to care for a dying person. Problem-based learning, simulations and elective courses increased students' knowledge of palliative care. Game interventions in education decreased students' fear of death, while communication with dying patients and relatives became easier. Conclusions: Education interventions had positive effects on students' attitudes and knowledge. However, there is a need for future research into effective palliative care interventions using randomised designs and research about the effects of blended learning.

Ethical aspects of researching subjective experiences in early-stage dementia.

This article is based on a qualitative longitudinal study that followed the subjective experiences of both people living with dementia and their family members during the early stages of the illness. The purpose of this article is to describe and reflect on the ethical and methodological issues that occurred during data collection. The article focuses on the situation of the person with dementia and the family member and the role of the researcher when conducting the research interviews. Based on the results of this study, conducting research interviews with people with dementia and their family members poses several ethical and methodological challenges that must be addressed. In doing so, ethically sound dementia-specific research methods will be actively developed enhancing our understanding of living with dementia and providing new insights into the care of people with dementia and their family members.

Challenging situations and competence of nursing staff in nursing homes for older people with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia causes behavioural changes in people that often lead to earlier placement in a nursing home. Staff can find these behavioural changes challenging and require specific competencies to support and care of people living with dementia. However, there is little information regarding the competencies nurses require in dementia care. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of challenging situations in nursing homes of older people with dementia, characterise the nursing staff's responses to such situations and contribute to a model outlining competences that dementia care nurses require. METHODS: Data were collected using mixed methods in a cross-sectional survey of views of nursing staff (n = 106) in two nursing homes in Finland during May to June 2018 using a structured questionnaire including open-ended questions. Quantitative data acquired were analysed statistically, and responses to the open-ended question were analysed using content analysis methodology. RESULTS: Most nurses (98%) reported that challenging situations occurred daily or weekly. The most common reported forms of challenging behaviour were as follows: wandering, restlessness, constant leaving, repeated inquiries and requests and opposition to treatment (mentioned by 95%, 90%, 85%, 83% and 83% of respondents, respectively). Five key competencies were identified from their responses: practical knowledge, theoretical knowledge, therapeutic use of self, social competence and self-management. They also indicated significant correlations between leadership and both the impact of challenging behaviour on coping at work and use of physical restraints on older people with dementia. CONCLUSION: Challenging situations in nursing homes of older people with dementia are very common. There is a need to identify specific competencies for caring for people with dementia in addition to updating official guidelines to handle such situations. The support of supervisors and competencies related to therapeutic use of self in nursing are highly important for nurses providing care for people with dementia.

Occurrence of workplace violence and the psychological consequences of it among nurses working in psychiatric outpatient settings.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There is a scarcity of studies concerning violence in psychiatric outpatient settings in the 2010s in spite of the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric services. Previous research on violence in psychiatric outpatient settings has failed to consider the association between the psychological consequences of violence, exposures to violence and background factors. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: It has been known for some time that exposures to violence are harmful for psychiatric inpatient nurses; the paper demonstrates that psychiatric outpatient nurses are also at risk. The psychological consequences of exposure to violence are highly individualized and influenced by background factors. Nurses who face harassment have a greater risk of suffering psychological symptoms. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: De-escalation interventions should be implemented in psychiatric outpatient settings. Organizations should consider the possibility of internal violence occurring when planning preventive interventions to manage and reduce workplace violence. Education targeted at violence prevention, management and debriefing should be organized systematically in psychiatric outpatient units and be taken into consideration in the mental health nursing curriculum. ABSTRACT: Introduction There is a scarcity of studies concerning violence and its consequences in psychiatric outpatient setting. Aim This study aimed to explore the occurrence of workplace violence and the psychological consequences of exposure to violence among nurses working in psychiatric outpatient settings. Method Research followed a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected with the VIA-Q instrument. Results During the 12 months prior to the study, nurses (n = 181) had most often experienced psychological violence, with fatigue being the most common consequence. Harassment most often caused feelings of violated integrity, whereas physical violence most often caused insomnia. Significant relationships between exposure to violence and psychological consequences were identified. Discussion Workplace violence can manifest in a broad array of psychological symptoms and be harmful for nurses in psychiatric outpatient settings. It is important to discuss the subject of workplace violence and its place in the nursing curriculum and to reflect on how nurses are educated and trained to face violence in psychiatric nursing. Implications for Practice De-escalation interventions should be implemented in psychiatric outpatient settings. Organizations should take steps to abolish internal violence. Nurses need appropriate education in order to prepare them to manage workplace violence.

Violence committed against nursing staff by patients in psychiatric outpatient settings.

Violence against nurses has increased particularly in psychiatric outpatient settings as psychiatric care shifts from being inpatient-based to being outpatient-based. Violence is a complex phenomenon that must be explored in different psychiatric nursing environments and settings. Violence in psychiatric outpatient settings should especially be explored as violence in this context has scarcely been examined. The aim of this systematic review was to elucidate violence committed against nursing staff by patients in adult psychiatric outpatient settings, based on reports from previous studies. A literature search was conducted in the CINAHL (EBSCO), Ovid MEDLINE, and PsycARTICLES (Ovid) databases. Fourteen studies emerged after the selection and quality assessment process. These studies indicated that violence in psychiatric outpatient settings is a multidimensional phenomenon comprising the reasons for, forms of, and consequences of violence. Reasons for violence could be related to the patient as well as to nursing staff. In psychiatric outpatient settings, verbal violence was the most common form of violence, and violence most frequently led to psychological consequences for nursing staff. The findings of this review highlight the importance of nursing staff developing skills and interventions for managing different kinds of violent situations. Given the multidimensional consequences of violence, attention must be given to the occupational well-being and coping ability of nursing staff at work. Furthermore, it would be worthwhile to compare cultural and intercountry differences of violent exposures in psychiatric outpatient settings.