A critique of the process-oriented approach to ward staff meetings

Interdisciplinary staff meetings with a group-process orientation are a common feature of inpatient psychiatric wards. In these meetings an attempt is made to elicit and resolve intrastaff conflicts. Often the hierarchy of administrative structure is suspended and a setting reminiscent of a therapy or T-group is created. Insufficient attention has been paid to the potential hazards of and varying indications for this process-oriented approach to staff meetings. The authors reassess the usefulness of these meetings in improving staff relations and clinical performance and suggest guidelines for tailoring their use to fit the ward's therapeutic objectives.