The workplace and nurses with a mental illness.
A qualitative approach was used to explore workplace experiences of nurses who have a mental illness. Interview transcripts from 29 nurses in New South Wales, Australia were subjected to discourse analysis. One significant finding was a theme depicting the need for support and trust. This superordinate theme encompassed four subelements: declaring mental illnesses, collegial support, managerial support, and enhancing support. Most of the participants portrayed their workplace as an unsupportive and negative environment. A number of colleagues were depicted as having little regard for the codes for professional nursing practice. This paper shows how nurses in the study dealt with the workplace support associated with mental illness.
Joyce
Terry
T
School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales 2308, Australia. Email: terry.joyce@newcastle.edu.au
McMillan
Margaret
M
Hazelton
Michael
M
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D009517:New South Wales; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010559:Personnel Management; D011287:Prejudice; D011363:Professional Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000941:ethics; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D017132:Workplace