Abstract
The shortage of nursing professionals is a long-standing problem. It is necessary in mental hospitals to provide sufficient nursing staff to deal with patients at risk of escape, fall, violence and accidents. This is an issue to which professional nursing groups attach much importance.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the current situation concerning nursing manpower in psychiatric wards. It is based on the result of a survey conducted in 2005 and further compared with the accreditation criteria of 2005 and 2008. It compares the ratios of nursing staff to patients in psychiatric acute wards, chronic wards and adult day care wards to stress the extent of the shortage of psychiatric nursing staff, and explores policy matters and factors related to that shortage. Absenteeism in nursing work is mostly due to insufficient manpower, overloading, relatively low incomes, psychological stress, the uncertain and poorly regarded nature of the profession, and lack of advanced training. Further strategies to solve or improve these problems, could include: supporting appropriate ratios of nursing staff to patients, clarifying the content of nursing work, providing methods of communication and stress-release, creating a positive working environment and working atmosphere, and enhancing the coping skills of new staff. The researchers hope that this analysis of the current situation will provide a reference for policy making and clinical practice in the future.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the current situation concerning nursing manpower in psychiatric wards. It is based on the result of a survey conducted in 2005 and further compared with the accreditation criteria of 2005 and 2008. It compares the ratios of nursing staff to patients in psychiatric acute wards, chronic wards and adult day care wards to stress the extent of the shortage of psychiatric nursing staff, and explores policy matters and factors related to that shortage. Absenteeism in nursing work is mostly due to insufficient manpower, overloading, relatively low incomes, psychological stress, the uncertain and poorly regarded nature of the profession, and lack of advanced training. Further strategies to solve or improve these problems, could include: supporting appropriate ratios of nursing staff to patients, clarifying the content of nursing work, providing methods of communication and stress-release, creating a positive working environment and working atmosphere, and enhancing the coping skills of new staff. The researchers hope that this analysis of the current situation will provide a reference for policy making and clinical practice in the future.
| Translated title of the contribution | An Analysis of the Current Manpower Situation in Mental Health Nursing |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Pages (from-to) | 46-51 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | 精神衛生護理雜誌 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- manpower
- mental health nursing
- related factors
