The experience of being a psychiatric nurse in South Africa: A qualitative systematic review

•South African psychiatric nurses work in unsafe environments with a lack of resources.•South African psychiatric nurses' experience shows work dissatisfaction and negative feelings.•South African psychiatric nurses need specific training for the management of patients. The purpose of the study...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nursing outlook 2018-05, Vol.66 (3), p.293-310
Main Authors: Alburquerque-Sendín, Francisco, Ferrari, Angelica Viana, Rodrigues-de-Souza, Daiana Priscila, Paras-Bravo, Paula, Velarde-García, Juan Francisco, Palacios-Ceña, Domingo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Attitude of Health Personnel
Humans
Mental health
Meta-synthesis
Nurse-Patient Relations
Nurses - psychology
Nurses - trends
Nursing
Psychiatric Nursing
Psychiatry
Qualitative Research
Qualitative systematic review
South Africa
Workplace - psychology
Workplace - standards
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Summary:•South African psychiatric nurses work in unsafe environments with a lack of resources.•South African psychiatric nurses' experience shows work dissatisfaction and negative feelings.•South African psychiatric nurses need specific training for the management of patients. The purpose of the study was to summarize the experiences of African psychiatric nurses in their workplace by examining the findings of existing qualitative studies. Eleven studies published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, between 1998 and 2016, which explored psychiatric nurses' experiences in Africa, were included. After meta-aggregation, five key findings were identified: 1) organization and management, 2) perceptions of professional safety and insecurity, 3) relationship with the patient, 4) emotional experiences and 5) recommendations for improvement. The findings in this study highlight the stressful nature of the work climate of the psychiatric nurse in South Africa. More focus on improving working conditions and providing support is necessary to increase the quality of care for psychiatric mental health patients and their nurse providers.
ISSN:0029-6554
1528-3968
DOI:10.1016/j.outlook.2018.01.002