Literatuurtips

Thema: Ervaringsdeskundigheid

Learning from experience:
Using action research to discover consumer needs in post-seclusion debriefing
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing (2009) 18, 100-107
doi: 10.0000/j.1447-0349.2008.00579.x

Rob Ryan and Brenda Happell
School of Nursing & Midwifery, Victoria University, Meldbourne, VIctoria, and Department
of Health Innovation and Institute for Health and Social Science Resaerch, CQUniversity Australia,
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

ABSTRACT: Approximately 16% of consumers are secluded during an inpatient admission. Despite the harmful psychological consquences resulting from the use of physical force, restraint, control, and temporary sequestration
of therapeutic communication, there is little evidence of nursing practices to support consumers who are secluded. This
paper will outline the findings from an action research project examining post-seclusion debriefing practice. A series
of focus groups was undertaken with mental health nurses (MHN) and consumer consultants (CC) to investigate current
practice, identify consumer/clinician preferences, and scope future practice possibilities. The findings suggest that CC
need assistance in dealing with the negative feelings evoked by seclusion. MHN use a range of approaches for debriefing; however, these sometimes do not meet consumer preferences. MHN focus on explaining why seclusion happened and how to avoid it. While mitigation is a critical issue, CC want more emotional support from debriefing. MHN saw the possibility of using the debriefing to support consumers' transit from seclusion to high-dependency status and then to low-dependency status. Opinions raised regarding the potential for CC to have a role in debriefing were divided. The findings will be used to inform the development of a consumer debriefing training program for MHN and CC.
KEY WORDS: action research, consumer consultant, consumer debriefing, practice development, seclusion debriefing.