The morality of treating patients with depot neuroleptics: The experience of community psychiatric nurses

The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the meani ng that community psychiatric nurses impart to their everyday interactions with patients in depot neuroleptic treatment situations. Nine experienced c ommunity psychiatric nurses were interviewed using semistructured, open-end ed questions. Data analysis was by the phenomenological descriptive method according to Giorgi. Four themes were identified, highlighting aspects of t he moral meaning of treating patients with depot neuroleptics: (1) 'benevol ent justification' occurs when nurses perceive that the patient's welfare i s at stake; (2) 'inability to advocate the patients' best interest' occurs when nurses feel they are at a disadvantage; (3) 'accommodative interaction s' occur when nurses are able to respond to a patient's expressed needs; an d (4) 'acceptable advocacy' occurs when physicians are sensitive to nurses' suggestions on patients' treatment. The findings indicate that treatment c are planning involving both patients and nurses is essential to enhance pat ients' autonomy, which is a precondition for satisfactory interactions. Thi s phenomenological study describes the meaning that nurses give to administ ering depot neuroleptic injections to patients in the context of community psychiatric clinics. The phenomenon of concern was identified as the moral aspect in the interac tions with individual patients in the treatment situation.