What mental health nurses have to say about themselves: A discourse analysis

Abstract

Mental health nursing is largely invisible within public discourse. When mentioned at all in news media, it is usually a signifier of an occupation connoting where a nurse works. There is rarely a presumption of expertise in any sphere or articulation of a unique skill set or defining features which differentiate the mental health nurse from other nurses. This paper sought to examine the professional discourse around mental health nursing as inferred from a review of papers published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing in 2019. A discourse analysis of full‐text papers (n = 117) was undertaken exploring references to mental health nurses or nursing and what this communicated about the field. The discourse clustered around three themes: The invisible or absent mental health nurse, ambiguous and blended identities, and a group of low attributed value and sophistication. There were few examples of authors presenting mental health nurses in a way which counters stereotypes of the dominant discourse about mental health nurses as a lesser skilled occupational group. Academics, editors, authors, and practitioners are urged to contribute to the construction of discourse around mental health nursing expertise which differentiates it from other branches of nursing and other distinctive disciplines.

Utilizing the mental health nursing workforce: A scoping review of mental health nursing clinical roles and identities

“…Here the role tensions between administration and care provision were found to give rise to a blurring of roles and ambiguity of professional identity. This role blurring was also evident in Browne and Hurley's (2018) and Lakeman and Hurley's (2021) studies where the psychotherapeutic MHN roles clashed with those associated with psychiatric roles as required by Mental Health Acts and other legislation.…”

Zombies Wanted! Descriptions of Nurses in Psychiatric-Mental Health Care in Swedish Recruitment Advertisements

“…Nurses are expected to make crucial contributions in defending humanistic values (Gabrielsson et al, 2016) and developing and upholding person-centred (Barker & Buchanan-Barker, 2011) and safe (Bowers, 2014) care environments. In contrast, research into images of psychiatric-mental health nurses commonly reveal an unflattering view of the profession (Bladon, 2017;De Carlo, 2007;Farrow & O'Brien, 2005;Lakeman & Hurley, 2021). Farrow and O'Brien (2005) examined print media reporting on strike actions undertaken by psychiatric-mental health nurses and identified deprecatory images of nurses, such as them being lazy, inflexible and greedy.…”

“…Building on examples from narrative literature, Bladon (2017) argued that fictional depictions conveyed an image of psychiatric-mental health nursing as punitive and controlling, and psychiatric-mental health nurses as off-putting and subservient. Lakeman and Hurley (2021) found that nursing research typically described nurses and nursing in a way that reinforced a perception of psychiatric-mental health nurses as lacking in skills and competencies.…”

Commentary on a study about Mental Health Nurses' identity

“…2009). Mental health nursing remains overlooked, often perceived as being limited to a specific care setting (usually psychiatric hospitals or departments), with little recognition of specialized assessment and intervention competencies (Lakeman & Hurley 2021).…”