Abstract
The objective of this study is to clarify the structure of nursing care in discharging of long-term mentally ill patients. Data was collected through interviews using semi-structured questionnaires given by 25 nurses at nine mental hospitals. Collected data was analyzed using the KJ method. Nursing care was given to "the patient," "the patient's family" and "the support team." Nine categories were identified from the data of nursing care for "the patient." Seven categories were identified from the data of nursing care for "family." Six from that of "the support team." Nursing care was composed of three stages "provide incentives to discharge," "prepare patients for discharge," "support patients to start their discharge plans." Focus of nursing care was on the recovery of patients' self-esteem and to schedule a reasonable pace toward the discharge according to patients' self-care ability and their concerns. Results suggest that nurses took an active role in re-establishing the relationship of patients and their families and in coordinating the support team according to patients' ability and the family's preparedness to accept responsibility for the patients return.
