A ward for psychiatric emergencies and comorbid psychiatric and physical illness: the nursing staff’s perspective

Abstract

Since May 2010, the psychiatric ward of our hospital has been certified as a ward for psychiatric emergencies and comorbid psychiatric and physical illness. This led to a considerable increase in treatment costs for patients. Inpatient treatment for individuals with comorbid psychiatric and physical illnesses requires highly specialized nursing skills, given the variety and complexity of such conditions. We also admit patients presenting with psychiatric emergencies without any physical complaints. We have made various attempts to provide high-quality nursing care to all our patients. From our experiences, the following points have proven beneficial and are considered to be essential: (1) adequate staff strength, (2) acquisition of physical and psychiatric nursing skills, (3) communication among nursing staff to facilitate common knowledge of patient information and the sharing of other specialized information, and (4) Inter-disciplinary collaboration.