Challenges faced by psychiatric nurses in managing psychiatric patients in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Due to the complex nature of working environment and increase prevalence of mental illness in Nigeria, psychiatric nurses are faced with highly demanding and challenging roles in the process of service delivery. The study aimed to identify the challenges, factors associated with and strategies to overcome these challenges faced by psychiatric nurses in managing psychiatric patients in Kano state, northwest Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey research study was conducted among the entire 81 psychiatric nurses working in Dawanau Psychiatric Hospitals and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Psychiatric ward. Data was collected using structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The major identified challenges were staff shortage (90.1%), inadequate facilities (72.8%), unavailability of drugs (71.6%) and lack of support and workplace dissatisfaction (69.1%). Most of the factors associated with the challenges included limited resources (87.6%), inadequate government and institutional funding (79.0%) as well as neglect of the unit (70.4%). Increasing and improving psychiatric facilities (92.6%), recruitment of additional staffs in the unit (91.4%), availing the necessary drugs to the unit (63.0%), improving staff training and motivation (77.8%) and adequate support from the government (79.0%) were the suggestions to overcome the challenges. It is concluded that such challenges are inimical to the needed psychiatric services in the study setting. The role of governments and health policy makers in paying more attention to human resource development, provision of adequate facilities, continuous academic advancement and timely updates to enhance the quality of care rendered to the patients with mental illnesses are recommended as ways to improve services.

Key words: Psychiatric services, Challenges, Strategies, Psychiatric nurses, Psychiatric patients