The Relation between Excellence and Experience with Regard to Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Care

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying how the concept of excellence in nursing practice relates to experience of nurses, primarily in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. Quantitative research was conducted with 234 nurses who work in child and adolescent psychiatric wards. The excellence of their nursing practice was evaluated via a “Hospital Nurses’ Self-Evaluation of Their Excellence in Nursing Practice” scale. The scores in total and of 7 subscales were compared with the length of the nursing experience of the participants, and whether experience was in pediatric or adult psychiatric nursing, or not. Nurses with more than 6 years’ experience in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient nursing scored higher than those with less experience in 6 subscales. There were no significant differences in the subscales for pediatric nursing, and there were significant differences in the only one subscale for adult psychiatric nursing. In conclusion, the findings show that child and adolescent psychiatric nursing has its own degree of excellence and aspects of know-how which make it difficult to utilize the experience of nurses across specializations.