The patient's daily activities in acute psychiatric care

This study is part of a research project entitled: 'Towards patient-focused nursing on an acute psychiatric ward'. The aim of the project is to describe the changes taking place in nursing activities during a research project. This paper is a qualitative analysis of the patient's daily activities in acute psychiatric care. The data were collected by observing, selectively, seven patients for 61 h. The constant comparative method was used in data analysis. On the basis of the data analysis, the categories listed below were identified. 1 The core category of the patient's daily activities was 'being a patient'. 2 Being a patient mainly consisted of being alone without meaningful activities. 3 Participating in the daily routines of the ward consisted of being alone while being together with others. 4 Being together was initiated by either the patient or the nurse. The aim of being together was to satisfy the acute basic needs of the patients. 5 Being together on the initiative of the nurse meant participating in the daily routines of the ward. Because the data were collected by observation, no insight into the patients' desires, expectations and thoughts could be presented. The findings challenged the nursing staff to develop a more therapeutic daily routine in acute psychiatric care. It was also of importance to change the patients' meaningless existence into a meaningful participation in the daily activities on the ward.