'On the path, off the trail' : the relational work of nurses in outreach health : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Nursing at Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
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Date
2017
DOI
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Massey University
Rights
The Author
Abstract
This
research
study
draws
on
the
practice
reflections
of
nurses
working
with
people
who
are
homeless
and
experiencing
mental
health
problems
to
explore
engagement
as
a
core
nursing
practice
in
this
setting.
Therapeutic
relationships
and
engagement
are
at
the
heart
of
nursing
practice,
and
this
is
especially
so
in
mental
health
nursing.
Homeless
and
hard-‐
to-‐reach
clients
are
an
underserved
population
for
mental
health
services.
This
research
seeks
to
‘make
visible’
the
ways
in
which
mental
health
nurses
uniquely
and
successfully
engage
with
people
experiencing
homelessness
and
marginalisation,
which
in
turn
contributes
to
improved
health
and
social
outcomes
for
those
people.
Eight
New
Zealand
registered
nurses
were
interviewed
and
critical
thematic
analysis
used
to
interpret
the
resulting
data.
The
research
findings
were
that
nurses
practicing
in
this
specific
homeless
health
context
value
relationships
as
a
core
nursing
intervention.
The
work
of
engagement
was
described
as
uncertain.
The
research
participants
echoed
the
nursing
theory
and
literature
that
argues
nurses’
relational
work
is
often
unseen
and
undervalued
within
health
systems.
Relational
work
is
described
as
a
defining
concept
for
mental
health
nursing
yet
the
lack
of
visibility
of
this
skilled
work
adds
to
nurses’
experience
of
uncertainty.
The
recommendations
suggest
ways
to
render
visible
and
hold
central
the
nursing
work
of
engagement.
Description
Keywords
Nurse and patient, Psychiatric nursing, Homeless persons, Mental health services, Mental health personnel and patient, New Zealand, Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE::Psychiatry