Abstract

The patient experience, or patient satisfaction, is becoming one of the most important measures that healthcare systems look at when they are judging the efficiency and effectiveness of the services being provided. Mental health services are no different, and in fact, it could be argued that providers of mental health care have to work harder to ensure an exemplary patient experience. The cornerstone of psychiatric nursing is the therapeutic use of self and the development of relationships and structured programming. Patients still expect this as a part of their inpatient treatment and care, therefore, the focus of the Capstone Project was to create a structured and therapeutic program that included nurse led groups. Involving nurses in groups, created an environment in which they felt more engaged with the patients, and had more autonomy in their practice. An increase in nurse engagement has had a direct correlation with an increase in the patient experience and overall patient satisfaction on an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit. The modernization of psychiatric medicine and managed care mandates on length of stay, have impeded the nurses ability to effectively meet these expectations. If mental health nurses are going to be successful in meeting modern patient expectations, then they will require ongoing support and training from their nursing leaders and hospital administration. This data will drive nursing practice in inpatient mental health settings in the 21st century.

Author Details

Leslie G. Caesar, DNP, MSN, RN-BC

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Historical

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Inpatient Care, Employee Engagement, Psychiatric Nursing

Advisor

JoAnn Manty

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Capella University

Degree Year

2015

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2015-04-23

Full Text of Presentation

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