E. Sjostedt et al., The first nurse-patient encounter in a psychiatric setting: Discovering a moral commitment in nursing, NURS ETHICS, 8(4), 2001, pp. 313-327
The aim of this study was to deepen nurses' understanding of the importance
of carefully managing the first nurse-patient encounter in a psychiatric s
etting according to each patient's suffering and future hopes. The study wa
s carried out using an action research approach. The action planned was the
implementation of a conceptual model reflecting Eriksson's caring theory.
Data were collected by interviews with nurses and observational notes kept
in a research diary. The data analysis followed the procedure of qualitativ
e content analysis. A generalization of the entire learning process shows t
he first nurse-patient encounter to be a moral commitment in nursing. A the
oretical framework of nursing assessment conveying knowledge about the pati
ent as unique and being a whole person can support the nurse in encouraging
the patient to enter into a relationship. This insight stimulated the nurs
es in this study to reflect on the moral responsibility of continuing the r
elationship and initiating an ongoing nursing process. Awareness of this re
sponsibility made them reflect more on the possibility of nurses taking aut
onomous actions in order not to abandon the patient and to avoid feeling gu
ilty.