The experience of being a psychiatric nurse in South Africa: A qualitative systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to summarize the experiences of African psychiatric nurses in their workplace by examining the findings of existing qualitative studies. Eleven studies published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, between 1998 and 2016, which explored psychiatric nurses' experiences in Africa, were included. After meta-aggregation, five key findings were identified: (a) organization and management, characterized by the lack of resources and institutional support, the presence of work dissatisfaction, and the difficulties of applying quality care; (b) the perception of insecurity, characterized by an unsafe environment for the nurse and the patient, the presence of violence, and the blaming of the assaulted nurses; (c) the relationship with the psychiatric patient, characterized by a lack of training concerning the management of the psychiatric patient; (d) emotional experiences, highlighting negative feelings and mental and physical exhaustion; and (e) proposals for improvement, needs for greater training opportunities, institutional support, and interprofessional collaboration.