RURAL FAMILIES AS RESOURCES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE MENTALLY-ILL -A CALL FOR NURSING INVOLVEMENT

The concept of Rooming In, developed by country psychiatrist Mike Rich ardson, is presented as an exemplar of an innovative mental health fam ily nursing concept and provides a context for the further evaluation of the nurse's role in family care. Rooming In involves the 24-hour vo luntary care of a mentally ill person by a close friend or relative on the general hospital ward, This article describes a descriptive, qual itative pilot research project conducted in a rural general hospital i n New South Wales, Australia. Six family members, their mentally ill r elatives, friends, and registered nursing staff were interviewed for t he study. Data are presented as categories derived from the analysis o f interview transcripts, Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.