The activities that nurses working in community mental health perform: a geographical comparison

Abstract

Objective. The primary aim of the present study was to identify the activities that nurses in community mental health services undertake. Method. A dataset containing records of the community and ambulatory interventions involving the nursing staff of 252 mental health facilities was analysed. Results. Nurses spend most of their time performing clinical care (78%), followed by clinical organisation (12%), mental health administration (6%) and integration activities (4%). There were minimal differences between treating units located in metropolitan, rural and remote areas in terms of the numbers of consumers receiving care, the time nurses spent with consumers, the types of nursing activities undertaken and the amounts of time spent on each of the four types of nursing activities. Conclusions. These findings suggest that nurses in mental health community settings spend more time in clinical care than nurses in other healthcare settings. What is known about the topic? Community settings are increasingly becoming the primary focus for mental health care in Australia. Nurses are providing community-based care for consumers with increased levels of acuity. There is a paucity of documented evidence about the activities nurses perform in community mental health settings. What does this paper add? This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the activities undertaken by nurses in community mental health settings. The findings presented emphasise the high proportion of clinical care performed by nurses in community mental health settings. No significant differences were noted in the provision of clinical care between metropolitan, rural and regional mental health services. What are the implications for practitioners? A comprehensive understanding of the activities of nurses in community mental health settings provides the basis for understanding the important role nursing plays in this area of care delivery.