Mental Health Nurses’ Experiences of Caring for Patients Suffering from Self-Harm

Abstract

The aim of this study was to exploremental health nurses’ experiences of caring for inpatients who self-harmduring an acute phase. The setting was four psychiatric clinics in Norway. Fifteenmental health nurses (MHNs) were recruited. Semistructured interviews comprised the method for data collection, with content analysis used for data analysis. Two main categories emerged: challenging and collaborative nurse-patient relationship and promoting well-being through nursing interventions.The underlying meaning of the main categories was interpreted and formulated as a latent theme: promoting person-centered care to patients suffering from self-harm.HowMHNs promote care for self-harmpatients can be described as a person-centered nursing process.MHNs, through the creation of a collaborative nurse-patient relationship, reflect upon nursing interventions and seek to understand each unique patient.The implication for clinical practice is that MHNs are in a position where they can promote patients’ recovery processes, by offering patients alternative activities and by working in partnership with patients to promote their individual strengths and life knowledge. MHNs strive to help patients find new ways of living with their problems.The actual study highlighted that MHNs use different methods and strategies when promoting the well-being of self-harm patients.