ATTITUDE TOWARDS RENDERING NURSING CARE TO PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS AMONG NURSING STUDENTS IN MADONNA UNIVERSITY, ELELE, RIVERS STATE
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to assess the attitude towards rendering nursing care to psychiatric patients among nursing students in Madonna University, Elele Rivers State. Three specific objectives and research questions guided the study. The study made use of nursing students in their fourth and fifth year of study as respondents for the study. The researcher used a descriptive research design for this study and a self- structured questionnaire to collect data used for analysis in the study. Data obtained were described and analyzed using data analysis tools such as frequency distribution tables and percentages. Findings of current survey demonstrated that majority of the respondents agreed that psychiatric patients are entitled to the same attention in the health Centre as are general patients (78%), mental hospitals are the only places for people with mental illness to be treated (74%), and psychiatric patients are usually dangerous (76%). The factors that influence the nursing students' attitude towards rendering nursing care to psychiatric patients were shown to include psychiatric nursing is not prestigious in the society (46.2%), discouragement from friends and peers (70.7%), high risk to life and safety (54.8%), monetary gain/payment (69.0%), opportunity for growth in the career (60.0%), conduciveness of the work environment (84.8%), job demands is very challenging (83.1%), nature of psychiatric nursing (70.7%), and job opportunity as there is high demand for psychiatric nurses (69.3%). In conclusion, the implication of this study is nursing training and practice and for the nursing educators who need to strategically focus training to correct negative attitudes and perception while providing motivation and knowledge of care for psychiatric patients among the students. The study recommended more training and educational intervention on the importance of nursing care for psychiatric patients to be carried out by nursing educators for the nursing students.
Full-Text Access Notice
In accordance with the NERD Policy on promoting peer-reviewed publication, public access to the full text of a project, thesis or dissertation is restricted for three years, allowing the author and supervisors sufficient time to pursue peer-reviewed publication.
During this period, researchers with legitimate academic or research purposes may request authorisation directly from the author to enable NERD to release the indexed full texts of the work using the form below.