Job analysis of nurses in acute psychiatric intensive care units using the DACUM method: a cross-sectional study

This study systematically analyzed the job duties of nurses in acute psychiatric intensive care units using the Developing A Curriculum (DACUM) technique and identified the core job structure that reflects the characteristics of acute mental health nursing.

This descriptive cross-sectional study used a DACUM workshop conducted in 2025 to identify job duties. The DACUM committee included one job analysis expert, one coordinator, and eight acute psychiatric nurses. Content validity was verified by eight experts using an item-level content validity index of ≥0.78. A total of 80 nurses assessed task importance, difficulty, and frequency. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the determinant coefficient.

The DACUM analysis identified a structured framework consisting of 10 duties and 39 tasks. "Emergency and crisis management" had the highest determinant coefficient, followed by "therapeutic milieu management," "psychosocial interventions," and "education and professional development." At the task level, crisis intervention and response, physical emergency nursing care, and management of safety incident recurrence were prioritized.

DACUM-based job analysis clarified the structured roles of nurses in acute psychiatric intensive care units and highlighted job characteristics centered on emergency management and safety. These findings provide foundational data for standardizing nursing roles, establishing staffing strategies, and developing specialized clinical education programs for acute psychiatric care.