Attitudes of mental health staff to protected therapeutic time in adult psychiatric wards

Accessible summary•  There have been recent concerns about the lack of time nurses can spend face to face with their patients in psychiatric wards. Therapeutic time is an intervention whereby psychiatric nurses spend regular, uninterrupted periods of time with patients during which they do not attend to other matters. There is very little research evidence to support such an approach and so this study was developed to investigate nurses' and doctors' views on therapeutic time. •  Medical and nursing staff returned a questionnaire about their feelings towards such therapeutic time. The majority of staff believe that therapeutic time improves patient recovery and reduces risks while increasing patient satisfaction with care received and enhancing nurse–patient relations. •  Staff comments suggested that the success or otherwise of the intervention may depend on practical issues such as staffing levels.Abstract Therapeutic time is a relatively new, ward‐based intervention whereby psychiatric nurses spend regular, uninterrupted periods of time with patients during which they do not attend to other matters. A questionnaire survey of nursing and medical staff was conducted to assess attitudes to the approach. The majority of staff viewed the approach as being important for promoting patient recovery, reducing risk, improving nurse–patient relationships and enhancing patient satisfaction with care received. Interference with medical activities, lack of staffing resources and variable patient uptake were highlighted as potential problems. More research is required to establish the benefits, drawbacks and nature of therapeutic time. Given the current support for the approach and previous research emphasizing the extent to which patients value protected time to speak to nurses, investment of resources in further exploration and implementation of this approach may lead to significant clinical returns.