Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Title of Thesis: An explorative, qualitative descriptive study
investigating psychiatric nurses perceptions of
bed-rest in the acute inpatient mental health
setting.
Research Question: What are Psychiatric Nurses’ perceptions of
the use of bed-rest in the acute inpatient mental
health setting?
Researcher Name: Annabel Meehan
Community Mental Health Nurse
Ms Annabel Meehan Dip Psych Nursing, BNS
Community Mental Health Nurse
Cluain Mhuire Family Centre
Newtownpark Avenue
Blackrock
Co Dublin
Ireland
meehanan@tcd.ie
The aim of this study is to ascertain the perceptions of psychiatric
nurses on the use of bed-rest in the inpatient acute mental health
setting. For the purpose of this study bed-rest is defined as, the
removal of a clients day clothes, the placement of that client into
their nightclothes and the confinement of that client to the ward or
hospital area. Locally it is a risk management strategy in dealing
with disruptive behaviour and in preventing absconding.
The literature review explores the historical factors influencing
contemporary practice. It further examines legislative issues and
the concept of subtle coercion with analogies drawn to the practice
of bed-rest. The practice of bed-rest needs recognition; this
research brings attention to this practice and provides an insight
into psychiatric nurses’ perceptions of the use of bed-rest in the
acute inpatient setting.
The philosophical perspective of interpretivism underpins this
explorative, qualitative descriptive study. The data collection tool
of choice was semi-structured interviews. The literature review
informed the interview guide. A purposive sample of ten registered
psychiatric nurses from two sites in urban mental health units
participated in the study. Burnard’s (1991) 14 stages of data
analysis helped to manage and analyse the data following verbatim
transcription.
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