Expanded practice roles for community mental health nurses: a qualitative exploration of psychiatrists' views.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to explore the perspectives of psychiatrists regarding the potential impact of expanded nursing practice roles on mental health care delivery.


METHODS
In-depth interviews and a focus group were conducted with psychiatrists from metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia, using a qualitative exploratory design.


RESULTS
Four main themes emerged: nurses' preparation to undertake expanded practice; power and autonomy of nurses; final responsibility rests with psychiatrists; and, the future of expanded nursing practice. Participant responses to these themes were varied and diverse.


CONCLUSIONS
Participant responses elucidate the complexity of the issues and suggest that a number of factors influence psychiatrists' opinions of the expanded practice role.
Elsom
Stephen
S
Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice, School of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. sjelsom@unimelb.edu.au
Happell
Brenda
B
Manias
Elizabeth
E
Lambert
Tim
T
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D011209:Power, Psychological; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011570:Psychiatry; D014739:Victoria