Exploring Mental Health Nurses Experiences Of Patients’ Aggression At Mathari National Hospital

Abstract

Background: Nurses working in Mental Health Settings experience high levels of patients’ aggression. Exposure to patients’ aggression results in implicit or explicit challenges to their safety, health or psychological well being. Some end up with physical injuries and emotional distress which negatively affects the quality of care provided to the patients. Objectives: The main objective of the study was to explore Mental Health Nurses’ lived experiences of patients’ aggression at Mathari Hospital Methodology: A phenomenological study design was adopted to explore mental health nurses’ lived experience of patient‘s aggression. Observing principal of data saturation, 13 nurses who had experienced patient aggression in the hospital were purposively selected and participated in the study. Data –were collected for 3 weeks through in-depth interviews by use of interview guide supplemented by audio recording and field notes. Narrative thematic data analysis was employed. The audio taped data were transcribed verbatim and imported into Nvivo 10, a qualitative data analysis software program. Coding and development of themes was done. Evaluation of the main codes to identify essential features and interrelationships was done. For narration, themes were configured into meaningful units by use of concrete narrative means. The results showed that physical forms of injuries were rampant or they were the most reported due to their seriousness and they resulted to emotional distress .They also resulted to lost time due sick off and sick leaves that are taken to allow physical and emotional healing .Other forms of patients’ aggression, like verbal aggression was rarely reported and often went unnoticed. Generally, participants indicated that aggressive incidences in a acute mental health unit were occasionally expected. This helped the nurses to forget and move on with their nursing roles after the aggressive incidences. Long working experience, training in mental health and psychiatric nursing, played a role in making nurses resilient and be able to overcome the aftermath of these incidences. Study finding benefited the mental health nurses by influencing the formulation of policies for mitigation and management of patients’ aggression, which translated to better patient care .The study cost was Ksh 113 3000 and it lasted for about one year. Ethical Issues: The research approval was obtained from KNH-UoN ERC and Mathari Hospital research committee to carry out the research. Confidentiality was assured for all participants and at all levels of the research process.