Faculty Research Journal – Nursing

Abstract

This study was conducted in a selected tertiary hospital in Neuropsychiatry Department located in Makati City. The Section of Psychiatry provides specialized treatment for different populations – children, elderly, and patients with mental illness that co-exist with other medical disorders.

This study focused on the Lived Experiences of Psychiatric Nurses working in a mental health facility. Phenomenological Method was the initial concept applied in this study. This will be the appropriate methodology for the inquiry if the researchers have a positive response on the question, concerning the degree of clarity on issued matters regarding the chosen phenomenon.

Based on the symbolic/thematic representation of the data, four themes were formulated with subthemes. These are as follows: Theme I – Skills Domains for Mental Health Nurses; Theme II – Tiring but Fulfilling and Rewarding; Theme III – Following the Footsteps of a Mentor; and Theme IV – Discrimination Becomes Motivation. These are the descriptions of the nurses through the entirety of their working experience.

The study provided rich information on the lived experiences of nurses in a mental health facility. It focused on the in-depth meaning of the particular aspect of the nurses’ experiences and how they deal with those.

Considering the above mentioned summary of findings and conclusion, the following are recommended: (1) For psychiatric nurses to make use of therapeutic communication and be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in order to make necessary adjustments; (2) For the psychiatric nurses to employ different coping strategies as they middle through the challenges in life; (3) To conduct more trainings, seminars, workshops on handling psychiatric patients; (4) To conduct psychological screening for future psychiatric nurses; (5) To allow nurses in the mental health facility to have periodic clinical exposure in other areas to prevent exhaustion and promote growth in terms of nursing skills other than psychiatry.

Keywords: Filipino Nurses, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, phenomenology.