Magister Curationis - MCur / Background: The integration of mental health into primary health care meant that patients were admitted into a less restrictive environment. They received treatment for mental illness in their communities, therefore, averting unnecessary hospitalisation in psychiatric hospitals. However, given that patients with mental illnesses were admitted to district hospitals as involuntary mental health care users (MHCUs), this setting was purported to be fraught with challenges for both staff and patients. Aim and objectives: The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of professional nurses, working at selected district hospitals in the Western Cape metropole, where 72-hour assessments of involuntary mental health care users are conducted. The objectives of this study were to determine how the 72-hour unit functioned in the general ward, the experiences of professional nurses regarding the integration of the 72-hour assessment units in the general ward and suggested improvements. Methodology: A qualitative research approach, with a descriptive phenomenological design, was used to collect data through semi-structured interviews from eight (8) professional nurses, working in the two selected district hospitals in the Cape Town metropole area. Purposive sampling was employed to select the participants. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method of qualitative data analysis. Four themes, namely, patient management process affected the functioning of the ward, patient management challenges in rendering patient care, burden of caring on the Self, and staff and patient support to create a therapeutic environment, emerged during data analysis, which encapsulated the nurse's experience of working in 72-hour assessment units in selected district hospitals. Findings: The findings of this revealed that the district hospitals were ill prepared for the admission of involuntary mental health care users. There were challenges, in terms of resources, namely, infrastructure to create a therapeutic environment, knowledgeable and skilled staff to care for the MHCUs. The MHCUs were contained in the district hospitals for longer than was legislated, rather than receiving therapeutic interventions at psychiatric facilities. Needs were identified to improve the functioning of the 72-hour assessment units, which included education and training of personnel, Discussion: The non-therapeutic environment had a negative impact on the staff working in the 72-hour assessment units. Nursing staff were burdened with caring for patients in an environment where they, as well as the MHCUs, were stigmatised due to the diagnosis of mental illness. However, the participants internalised their own experiences, as they prioritised the MHCUs well-being. The findings supported previous studies, which revealed that the objectives of the Mental Health Care Act (No. 17 of 2002), which supported the integration of mental health into primary health care, were not realised after more than a decade of implementation. Recommendations: Given the limited scope of this thesis, replications of this study in other district hospitals are recommended, in order to ascertain whether the objectives of the MHCA (2002), regarding 72-hour assessments, have been realised. A therapeutic environment, which includes infrastructure and resources to ensure that MHCUs receive care, treatment and rehabilitation within the district hospitals, is required. The recruitment and retention of adequate, skilled permanent staff is crucial, to ensure that MHCUs receive care, treatment and rehabilitation. Finally, the training and education of all personnel (including security) working in the selected district hospitals should be mandatory, in order to address patient care and stigma related to mental illness.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/5614 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | van Zyl, Verna |
| Contributors | Martin, P |
| Publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | University of the Western Cape |
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