Nurses' Experiences Caring for Inpatients Undergoing Psychiatric Care Following Harmful Methamphetamine Use: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study
Publication Details
Kriticos, J.,
Timler, A.,
Gordon, D. G.,
&
Codde, J.
(2025).
Nurses' Experiences Caring for Inpatients Undergoing Psychiatric Care Following Harmful Methamphetamine Use: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 33 (1), 1-13.
Abstract
Introduction
Methamphetamine is a potent stimulant that has been associated with stigma and serious physiological/psychiatric adverse effects. Harms associated with methamphetamine use have increased, placing demand on Australia's hospital services.
Aim/Question
This study's aim was to explore the experiences of nurses who work within West Australian hospitals' inpatient mental health service and provide care for individuals presenting with harmful methamphetamine use, while acknowledging that such presentations are often complicated by comorbid psychiatric conditions, trauma and other psychosocial factors.
Method
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to structure, implement and analyse interviews with 10 nurses.
Results
Three superordinate themes reflected participants' experiences: ‘Hit by the Storm’, ‘Working in the Rain’ and ‘After the Storm’.
Discussion
Participants provided methamphetamine-related nursing care in both an Observation Area of the Emergency department and an acute psychiatric ward. Their contributions helped to identify stigma as a common concern. These nurses described strategies they use to self-regulate while providing care, how they monitor the effects of stigmatisations and preserve their own physical and mental safety. Participants also identified a desire for targeted methamphetamine training.
Implications for Practice
Stigma associated with methamphetamine use is common among nursing staff, which can result in reduced quality of care.
Recommendations
Methamphetamine training is an important factor that improves nurses' confidence while also reducing methamphetamine-related stigma.
Description
This study strictly adhered to interpretive phenomenological analysis methodological protocols as recommended by Smith et al. (2009). Trustworthiness standards (Guba and Lincoln 1994; Whittemore et al. 2001) guided this study. For example, credibility was established through member checking between the researchers and participants, ensuring congruency of the results with expert opinions and the participants' contributions. Identified themes were supported by thick descriptions and verbatim quotes (Sundler et al. 2019). Differences of opinion were debated by the research team to reach a singular conclusion. Detailed background of the participants, including their current workplace, age, gender and work history, established transferability (Elo et al. 2014). As recommended by Smith et al. (2009) an internal audit was used to file all data, from initial data collection to final report. The University of Notre Dame Australia's Human Research Ethics Committee and the hospital's HREC and governance provided ethical approval for this study.
Relevance Statement
Nursing staff working in Australian Emergency Departments have reported that methamphetamine-related presentations are confronting and resource intensive. Additionally, psychiatric symptoms are a common component of these presentations. Clinicians have reported that individuals who use methamphetamine are often discharged from the emergency department without adequate psychiatric treatment. Exploring nurses' experiences working with this patient cohort in a psychiatric assessment unit attached to the ED, and again in an acute psychiatric ward has resulted in several insights that could help mitigate methamphetamine-related stigma and are relevant for all nursing staff who may work with patients who use methamphetamine.
Keywords
aggression, Australia, IPA, mental health, methamphetamine, nurse, psychiatry
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