Emergency department mental health nurses' perceptions of occupational stressors and utilization of coping strategies

Individuals in mental health crises can present to an emergency department 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yet there is minimal literature discussing the function and importance of emergency department mental health services. This investigation seeks to answer the question: what is the lived experience of dealing with occupational stress as a mental health nurse working on an emergency department mental health team? This research is based on a qualitative descriptive approach where a narrative is derived from the lived experiences of several individuals involved with a common phenomenon. Eight participants from two emergency department mental health teams were interviewed to explore their perceptions of occupational stressors and resulting coping strategies. Findings were divided into two categories: stressors and coping strategies. The main themes of stressors were: feeling morally distressed, working in an acute and uncertain environment, and incivility in the workplace. The main themes of coping strategies were: learning to work together, a shift in perspective, and personal coping strategies. These findings are discussed alongside current literature and suggestions are made for future research, continuing education, and practice improvement.Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-93)."In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing.