Patients Understanding and Perceptions of Enhanced Observations V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is this working for you? Patients understanding and perceptions of formal enhanced observations in acute mental health wards.
IRAS ID
214557
Contact name
Mark Gillespie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Glasgow Caledonian University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 25 days
Research summary
Formal observation within mental health settings provides a period of safety for people during temporary periods of distress when they are at risk of harm to themselves or others or both (Stewart et al 2010, CRAG 2002), they are considered crucial to psychiatric inpatient care and an essential part of mental health nursing care (MacKay et al 2005, Buchanan-Barker & Barker 2005). A recent study has highlighted that only 25% of formal observations carried out by staff pass off without any conflict or containment issues (Stewart et al 2012). Published research on the practice and efficacy of formal observations has been described as low quality (Kettles & Addo 2009), exceptionally weak (DoH 2013) and with significant gaps (Mason et al 2009).
Few researchers have investigated patients’ experiences of formal observations and from those studies that have been undertaken a consistent theme has been that nurses’ behaviours influence how patients perceive being observed (DoH 2013, Jones et al 2000b, Cardell & Pitula 1999). Patients have reported that formal observations undertaken by nurses who lack empathy can be distressing, non-therapeutic and convey feelings of being a burden, hopelessness and insignificance (Jones et al 2000a, Pitula & Cardell 1996, Cardell & Pitula 1999).
There is a significant gap within the literature of examining the understanding and experience of patients who have received formal observations within mental health settings. This study will use an Interpretative Phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology to explore, in depth, the perceptions and lived experiences of patients who have received formal observations within adult mental health settings across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
16/WS/0233
Date of REC Opinion
22 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion