Roles, conflicts and fulfillment of psychiatric and mental health nurse specialists

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This descriptive-exploratory study was performed using a qualitative approach, with the objective to verify the roles, conflicts and fulfillment of psychiatric nursing and mental health nurse specialists, because these are relevant aspects considering the changes made in psychiatric care over the last decades. Therefore, fifteen nurses, graduates of a specialization course in psychiatric and mental health nursing, answered a questionnaire, which was subjected to qualitative analysis. The results showed that most subjects are young and work in the referred area, performing nursing roles and providing direct care. They reported experiencing conflicts, such as not being recognized, dealing with work overload and the lack of human resources. The aspects of fulfillment reported were the patients’ improvement and professional recognition. Thus, it is concluded that the subjects identify their role as specialists and perform that role accordingly; their conflicts were related to aspects concerning recognition and the structure of the services, and their fulfillment is related to personal and professional qualification factors.

Descriptors: Psychiatric Nursing; Mental Health; Role Playing.