Mental Health Nurses’ Perceptions of Providing Pharmaceutical Care in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Working with medication is an important role of mental health nurses. However, little attention has focused on these nurses’ perspectives on where the responsibility of nurses for safe, competent medication management of their patients rests. The aim of this current study was to investigate psychiatric mental health nurses’ perspectives on their role in pharmaceutical care (PC). This study used a qualitative exploratory focus group discussion approach with nine experienced psychiatric mental health nurses. Inductive data were gathered using open-ended probes and theoretical sampling and were analyzed to yield themes and subthemes. Principal themes and subthemes emerged from the data analyzed. These themes illuminated nurses’ experiences with respect to the use of pharmaceutical medication in the mental health setting, including (a) nurses’ responsibilities for psychiatric pharmaceutical medications, (b) work experiences in multi-disciplinary teams, (c) nurses’ knowledge and education regarding medication, and (d) struggles faced by Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses. Nurses involved in pharmaceutical care need additional education, training, interprofessional collaboration, and clearly codified parameters to guide their professional practice in this aspect of care.