The role of ward structure on nursing staff behaviours: an observational study of three psychiatric wards
Authors:
- 1 January 1986
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Vol. 73 (1) , 6-11
Abstract
Variable rates of staff‐patient interaction were found between three wards, which differed in the degree of programme structure, staff‐patient ratios, and patient chronicity. Highest rates of staff‐patient interaction occurred where a highly structured ward programme operated in a closed ward with chronically disturbed patients, and this was more likely to increase as staff‐patient ratios decreased. The lowest staff‐patient interaction rates occurred in acute, open and closed wards. Further, acute ward patients received negligible attention from nurses in terms of staff‐patient interaction after 10 days following admission.Keywords
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