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An evaluation of two systems of in‐patient care in a general hospital psychiatric unit I: staff and patient perceptions and attitudes
Author(s) -
Long Clive G,
Blackwell Claire C,
Midgley Mane
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1992.tb01819.x
Subject(s) - psychiatric ward , unit (ring theory) , perception , nursing , medicine , patient care , nursing staff , general hospital , acute care , psychology , medical emergency , psychiatry , family medicine , health care , mathematics education , neuroscience , economics , economic growth
This study reports a comparison of a single ward versus a two‐ward system of acute in‐patient care in a general hospital psychiatric unit It focuses on staff and patient perceptions and attitudes towards the two types of ward A continuous care ward system was preferred by the majority of staff who described an improvement in‘ward atmosphere’ Patients who had experienced both ward systems also preferred the continuous care system Both patients and staff felt that the continuous care system still needed to place greater emphasis on ‘ward atmosphere’ dimensions of involvement, support and spontaneity The implications of these findings for improving the functioning of the preferred ward are discussed