Supporting the nurses in the mental setting; The role of hospital support system

Abstract

This thesis explores the type of support mental health nurses need from the hospital support system. Mental health nursing is a demanding professional role that requires clinical skills, emotional strength, and regular interaction with patients. Due to the high-pressure environment they work in, mental health nurses require ongoing and various types of support from the hospital setting. The research aims to identify what type of support the hospital system could provide to mental health nurses who care for mentally ill patients in a hospital setting. A qualitative literature review was conducted based on ten peer-reviewed articles, sourced from databases including Ebsco, Cinahl and PubMed. The selected articles were analysed using thematic analysis. Donabedian's model of healthcare quality was used to evaluate the hospital support systems. This model examines how the structure, process and outcome in healthcare. The framework was applied to assess the types of support mental health nurses need from the hospital setting to enhance their working conditions and to deliver high-quality care to the patients. The findings were grouped into three major themes: Psychological and institutional support, Training and skills development support and environmental and leadership support. The research emphasises that when hospitals offer emotional support, sufficient resources, continuous education and training support and strong leadership and safe environmental supports, mental health nurses are more capable of managing job-related stress and providing high-quality care. Lack of this support heightens the risk of burnout, which can affect staff and patients' outcomes. The study concludes that focused and systematic support from the hospital system is essential for enhancing the mental health nursing workforce and improving psychiatric care.