TY - JOUR
T1 - Leadership, support and acknowledgement of registered nurses work in acute mental health units
AU - Cleary, Michelle
AU - Horsfall, Jan
AU - O'Hara-Aarons, Maureen M.
AU - Hunt, Glen E.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - In acute mental health inpatient units, it is not surprising that culture, peers, immediate management, and sources of support and acknowledgment all contribute to positive nursing outcomes. In this qualitative study, four questions targeting leadership, culture, support, and acknowledgement of work well done were asked of 40 registered nurses (RN) working in acute mental health units. Findings convey a mixed picture indicating variation across units. Three-quarters believe that senior nursing staff actively contribute to a positive working environment. Almost half of the RN nominated peers as the providers of counsel and support when required, and a similar percentage believed that senior nursing staff fulfil these roles. Of interviewees, 33% said their nursing achievements are never, or rarely, acknowledged. For these RN, management, peers, and nurse unit managers are the preferred personnel to provide appropriate positive feedback. Thus, there is a gap between the expectations and hopes that nurses have for senior management approaches and behaviours and the reality of their daily experience. Overall, the responses portray a culture that underpins and enables both subtle interpersonal interactions that might arise out of necessity given the perceived lack of support from non-hands-on RN and administrators.
AB - In acute mental health inpatient units, it is not surprising that culture, peers, immediate management, and sources of support and acknowledgment all contribute to positive nursing outcomes. In this qualitative study, four questions targeting leadership, culture, support, and acknowledgement of work well done were asked of 40 registered nurses (RN) working in acute mental health units. Findings convey a mixed picture indicating variation across units. Three-quarters believe that senior nursing staff actively contribute to a positive working environment. Almost half of the RN nominated peers as the providers of counsel and support when required, and a similar percentage believed that senior nursing staff fulfil these roles. Of interviewees, 33% said their nursing achievements are never, or rarely, acknowledged. For these RN, management, peers, and nurse unit managers are the preferred personnel to provide appropriate positive feedback. Thus, there is a gap between the expectations and hopes that nurses have for senior management approaches and behaviours and the reality of their daily experience. Overall, the responses portray a culture that underpins and enables both subtle interpersonal interactions that might arise out of necessity given the perceived lack of support from non-hands-on RN and administrators.
KW - leadership
KW - management
KW - psychiatric nurses
KW - psychiatric nursing
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/516009
U2 - 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00804.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00804.x
M3 - Article
SN - 1445-8330
VL - 21
SP - 445
EP - 452
JO - International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
JF - International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
IS - 5
ER -