Part 2. The Role of the Mental Health Nurse in an Australian Tri-Disciplinary Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service

Mental health nurses are increasingly part of consultation-liaison psychiatry teams, yet their roles are not well documented. This is the second of a two-part paper examining a consultation-liaison psychiatry team consisting of medical, nursing and psychology staff within a major metropolitan health service in Victoria, Australia. An exploratory-descriptive qualitative design was used to examine the tri-disciplinary team (Part 1) and the mental health nursing role within it (Part 2) as documented by the organisation and articulated by team members. An audit of consultation-liaison psychiatry-related documents was conducted, and the content was analysed for references to the nursing role. Perspectives of team members were obtained through a focus group, and individual interviews, and examined using thematic analysis. The findings indicate the nurses practice at an advanced level with general and specialist mental health nursing expertise and are an integral part of the team. Two related themes were identified: mental health nurse consultants as an expert resource and a consistent presence. These themes converged into a central theme of conduit reflecting their connecting role both within the team and between the team and the nurses. Within the team, they made themselves available to orientate, educate and support team members. With the nurses, they shared a common identity and communication style, were trusted, and worked collaboratively with them in providing care. The study affirms the value of including mental health nurses as core members of CLP teams and their consistent presence positions them to lead improvements in mental health nursing practice.