Perceptions of role functions of psychiatric nurse specialists

Specialized and advanced psychiatric nursing practice is an innovative conc ept in the health care service in Hong Kong. A clear definition of the role and practice of psychiatric clinical nurse specialists (CNS) is important for the development of expert psychiatric nursing practice but is still in a formative stage. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to identif y the psychiatric CNS's perceptions of their role and to compare their perc eptions with those of their clinical psychiatric nurse colleagues. The main themes emerging from interviews, observations, and personal diary data wer e compared and condensed. Eight CNSs and 24 clinical nurse colleagues from acute care and community psychiatric nursing units voluntarily participated in the study. A four-component framework, including clinical practice, org anization education, and professional role, was adopted from nursing litera ture and used for categorization The findings showed similarities of role p erceptions in the clinical practice, organization and education components between the CNSs and their nursing colleagues. Differences in role percepti ons, concerns about inadequate knowledge and autonomy, and limitations in p rofessional role are discussed.