A qualitative study of factors influencing psychiatric nursing practice in Australian prisons.
OBJECTIVE
Factors influencing the practice of psychiatric nursing in Australian prisons.


METHODS
A qualitative study of psychiatric nurses (N = 30) working in a prison.


RESULTS
The psychiatric nurses identified the following factors as influencing their work: challenging patients, threats to personal survival of patients, the technology and artifice of confinement, conflicting values of nurses and corrections staff, stigma by association, and prisoner identification of the nurses with prison administration.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric nurses who work in forensic settings must adapt to less than optimal practice conditions.
Doyle
J
J
Faculty of Health, University of Western Sydney, Macarther, Cambelltown, NSW, Australia.
D001315:Australia; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011330:Prisons; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence