CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A qualitative research study exploring the perceptions among the newly qualified staff nurses towards the psychiatric patient in female psychiatric ward. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the study. It details the purpose of the study as well as the background and rationale. It includes the definitions of the relevant terms and discussion of the limitations and delimitations of the study.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background & Rationale

The nursing shortage in 2009 has taken a heavy toll on the psychiatric nursing workforce (Hanrahan and Gerolamo, 2004). Exceptionally talented and caring nurses who regularly deal with life and death situations often shy away from working with someone with a known mental illness (Björkman,
The National Institute of Mental Health at United States estimates that one in five people will experience some sort of mental illness in their lifetime and one in four people will know someone with mental illness. Mental illness is curable and symptoms of mental illness regularly can be controlled efficiently with help of medication and/or psychotherapy. Untreated mental illness may disrupt an individual’s personal, educational, social, and work activities and sometimes may lead to suicide. The cost of not treating mental illness may be high both in personal and financial terms whereby a significant indirect cost is made on the economy of a nation by mental illness by
Moreover it will establish whether there is a correlation within experiences, educations and the results of positive and negatives attitudes towards the mentally ill. Gaining insight into the perceptions and experiences of newly qualified nurses is useful because, as stated earlier, psychiatric care has become an important aspect in healthcare.
Nurses will encounter people with emotional or psychiatric difficulties at some point in their careers. Nurses need to be able to work comfortably with these patients. According to Mavundla, the professional nurses held negative perceptions stamped by lack of knowledge and also positive perceptions, implanted in knowledge and nursing skills ( Mavundla, 2000). Newly qualified nurses are in a position to influence the development or refinement of attitudes of newly graduated nursing students towards people with psychiatric problem. Any level of discomfort or bias has the potential of translating into negative attitudes and behaviors towards