Self-injury in correctional facilities is an increasing problem. Healthcare staff are tasked with responding to and treating self-injurious inmates. Research concerning the perceptions of prison self-injury depended on the experiences of professional healthcare staff and showed that specialized training reduced anxiety and altered perceptions. The perceptions of nonprofessional healthcare staff regarding inmate self-injury have not been studied. The purpose of this research was to understand the perceptions of inmate self-injury maintained by untrained healthcare staff through evaluation of their expressed experiences with self-injuring inmates. The research was based on the humanistic nursing theory. A phenomenological approach guided interviews of 8 healthcare staff having direct contact with inmates who self-injure. Participants had a past or present employment status with a State of Georgia Department of Corrections North Region correctional facility. Data were reviewed and coded to best reflect what it means to be a nonprofessionally trained healthcare member responding to inmate self-injury. Nonprofessional healthcare staff perceived that various experiences affected their level of ease and certainty, they operated as preservers of life and active listeners, felt that other healthcare staff held negative opinions, and were very helpful and supporting. Staff perceived that challenges prevented their success in managing self-injury. Last, nonprofessional staff perceived themselves as very helpful and therapeutic. This study promotes social change by encouraging staff to share knowledge, experience, and practical help with each other while building cohesive and collaborative relationships.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att studera om det fanns skillnader i hur fyra dimensioner av feedback uppfattades beroende på om den kom från arbetskamrat eller chef. De fyra dimensionerna var; Kvalité, Framförande, Positiv och Negativ feedback. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka om kön, ålder och anställningstid hade en påverkan i uppfattningen av de fyra feedbackdimensionerna. Studien utfördes på en anstalt och en kriminalvårds-utbildningsenhet i mellan Sverige. Mätinstrumentet som användes var Feedback environment scale (FES) ursprungligen framtagen av Steelman, Levy och Snell (2004) och översatt till svenska av Jansson och Nilsson (2010). Resultatet visade att tre av fyra dimensioner, Kvalité, Framförande och Positiv feedback, hade signifikanta skillnader, feedback från arbetskamrat värderas högre än feedback från chef. Endast anställningstid hade en påverkan i uppfattning av feedback och då i dimensionerna Framförandet- och Positiv feedback. Inga övriga signifikanta effekter av anställningstid, ålder eller kön visades.