Experiences of the Generalist Nurse Caring for Adolescents with Mental Health Problems

Mental healthcare for adolescents is currently provided in a range ofsettings, including general hospital wards and paediatric wards, although care of adolescents with mental health problems in general settings has not been evaluated. This descriptive study surveyed generalist nurses who provide care to adolescents with mental health problems in the general hospital setting to determine satisfaction with their abilities to provide care, challenges encountered in care provision and strategies to provide optimal care by these nurses. Participants included 30 generalist nurses (response rate of 73%) from two wards in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Queensland, Australia. The survey findings showed that 67 percent of the respondents felt inadequately prepared to care for this group and only 41 percent were satisfied with their ability to provide care. Strategies identified to improve nursing care included: enhancement of continuity of care and teamwork, provision of appropriate environmental facilities, greater support from specialist mental health nurses and further education oncaring for adolescent mental health problems.