TITLE:
Thai Psychiatric Nurses’ Experiences and Perceptions of the Professional Role When Caring for Older People Displaying Depressive Symptoms
AUTHORS:
Duangkaew Kleebthong, Sukjai Chareonsuk, Lisbeth Kristiansen
KEYWORDS:
Depressive Disorder, Nurses, Older People, Professional Role, Thailand
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.8 No.1,
January
26,
2018
ABSTRACT: Purpose:The aim of this study was to describe Thai psychiatric nurses’ experiences
and perceptions of their professional role when caring for older people whom
displayed symptoms of clinical depression.Methods:A qualitative descriptive research design was used. Thirteen psychiatric
nurses working in the field of mental health and psychiatric nursing at a rural
district hospital were purposively included. The data were collected through
in-depth,face to face interviews and analyzed using qualitative latent content
analysis.Results:All participants were female, and the mean
age was 43 years, and the mean experience of caring for mentally ill patients
was 8.3 years. The psychiatric nurses’ experiences and perceptions of their
professional role were mirrored in the following themes:1) managing a central role in
the care of the patients;2) conflicting interests between the professional needs of caregiving and
other requests; and3) being compassionate beyond the profession.Conclusion: The psychiatric nurses
were challenged by the complexity of the caregiving situations and the partners
involved in the process of caring for older people with depression.
Professionally, the psychiatric nurses played an important role in preventive
care and managerial work. They underwent stress under the influence of
stakeholders, but they also contributed to the holistic patient care.Health service authorities may
use these results to develop plans for psychiatric nurses in managing a central
role and in advocating for holistic care to mitigate the influence of
stakeholders to enhance quality of caring for olderindividuals with depression.