Nurses' perceptions of multidisciplinary teamwork in acute psychiatric settings

Area of Science:

• Psychiatric Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Teamwork in Healthcare

Background:

• The study addresses the perceived crisis in acute psychiatric care in England.
• It explores ambitions for more egalitarian mental health services.
• Senior nurses' perspectives on multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) are crucial for service evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate senior nurses' perceptions of multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) in acute psychiatric admission wards.
• To assess the composition and operational effectiveness of MDTs in these settings.
• To evaluate the extent of collaboration between MDTs, patients, and families.

Main Methods:

• A pilot telephone survey was conducted with senior nurses.
• The survey involved 26 acute psychiatric admission wards in one English health authority.
• Data collection occurred in two stages, focusing on general perceptions and detailed responses.

Main Results:

• Senior nurses perceived limitations in the composition and operations of acute ward multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).
• The relationship between MDTs and patients/families did not fully support enhanced collaboration.
• Findings highlight challenges in achieving integrated mental health care.

Conclusions:

• Current multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) practices in acute psychiatric wards may hinder effective patient and family engagement.
• Improvements in MDT structure and function are needed to support collaborative mental health care models.
• Addressing these limitations is vital for advancing egalitarian mental health services.