Understanding the nature of mental health nursing within CAMHS PICU: 2. Staff experience and support needs

Foster, C; Smedley, K

Abstract

In the UK and other western countries, child and adolescent care is increasingly understood as a distinct speciality. Internationally, inpatient units are the most widely used element of acute adolescent mental health services. Child and adolescent mental health inpatient nursing has been identified as unique, and yet there is a dearth of research investigating the role of nursing in adolescent mental health inpatient units and its impact. This is the second of a two papers presenting findings from a first of its kind, qualitative study investigating into the nature of mental health nursing within a child and adolescent mental health service psychiatric intensive care unit (CAMHS PICU). A qualitative conceptual analysis design was used. Findings relating to understanding of staff experience of their work and their support needs are presented. Results indicate there is significant emotional labour generated from the detailed and intense relationally-focused
work with young people; responsible for both a sense of value and job satisfaction, and corrosion of staff capacity to sustain these interventions over the longer
term. The central role of projective identification and the specific support requirements that emerge from these intrapersonal dynamics are explored. A conceptual model of CAMHS PICU nursing is proposed, synthesised from findings in the two parts of this series.

Citation

Foster, C., & Smedley, K. (2019). Understanding the nature of mental health nursing within CAMHS PICU: 2. Staff experience and support needs. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, 15(2), 103-115. https://doi.org/10.20299/jpi.2019.013

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 19, 2019
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Sep 4, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 4, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care
• Print ISSN: 1742-6464
• Publisher: National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care and Low Secure Units
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 103-115
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.20299/jpi.2019.013
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.20299/jpi.2019.013
• Related Public URLs: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/napicu/jpic
• Additional Information: Access Information : © 2019 NAPICU, reproduced with permission.