Emergency department mental health nurses' perceptions of occupational stressors and utilization of coping strategies

Vermeulen, Michaela

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon University, Faculty of Health Studies

2019

108 pages

thesis

Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-93).
"In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing."

English

Individuals in mental health crises can present to an emergency department 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yet there is minimal literature discussing the function and importance of emergency department mental health services. This investigation seeks to answer the question: what is the lived experience of dealing with occupational stress as a mental health nurse working on an emergency department mental health team? This research is based on a qualitative descriptive approach where a narrative is derived from the lived experiences of several individuals involved with a common phenomenon. Eight participants from two emergency department mental health teams were interviewed to explore their perceptions of occupational stressors and resulting coping strategies. Findings were divided into two categories: stressors and coping strategies. The main themes of stressors were: feeling morally distressed, working in an acute and uncertain environment, and incivility in the workplace. The main themes of coping strategies were: learning to work together, a shift in perspective, and personal coping strategies. These findings are discussed alongside current literature and suggestions are made for future research, continuing education, and practice improvement.

Mental health personnel--Job stress
Emergency medical personnel--Job stress
Mental health services--Psychological aspects
Emergency medical services--Psychological aspects

Brandon University
Faculty of Health Studies