Nursing Theory Interview: Psychiatric Nursing Practice Analysis

This essay presents an analysis of a face-to-face interview conducted with a registered nurse (RN) working in a psychiatric ward. The RN, with over seven years of experience, discusses her roles, responsibilities, and experiences in assessing and treating patients with psychiatric disorders. The essay explores the RN's choice of nursing as a profession, identifying an early childhood experience as a key influence. The core of the essay focuses on relating the RN's practice to Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences and patient-centered care. The essay also highlights current trends in nursing practice, including demographic shifts, consumer education, preventive care, and health information privacy. Furthermore, the RN's experiences with bullying, clique behavior, and lateral violence are discussed, alongside recommendations for transitioning into practice. The essay concludes by relating the student's perceived future nursing practice to the Transcultural Nursing Theory and provides a comprehensive overview of the interview, challenges faced, and the RN's perspective on the nursing profession.

Running head: ESSAY
Nursing Theory Interview
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY
Nursing Theory Interview
The essay is based on a face-to-face interview that was conducted with a registered
nurse Z, who has been working for more than seven years in the psychiatric ward. She is
principally entitled with the responsibility of working with patients, groups, families, and
communities, while taking necessary efforts for determining their mental health needs and
preferences. The nurse has been employed at the district hospital for more than five years and
has been successful in developing accurate nursing diagnosis and care plan, and enhancing
the health outcomes of her patients. This essay will elaborate on the interview responses and
will also relate it to a nursing theory that will facilitate future nursing practice.
RN area of current practice
On interviewing the RN, it was evident that she demonstrates adherence to the roles
and responsibilities of a psychiatric nurse and is entitled with the duty of assessing,
diagnosing and treating families and individuals suffering from a range of psychiatric
disorders, or have been identified at an increased likelihood of reporting poor mental
outcomes. Usually such nurses are assigned a caseload of different patients, and deliver direct
care services, which comprises of facilitating emotional and social needs, overseeing
medication lists and assessing patient progress (Townsend & Morgan, 2017).
Why did the interviewee choose the nursing profession?
The RN suggested that an early childhood experience played an important role in
governing her decision to work as a nurse. She was extremely satisfied with the care and
compassion that had been demonstrated by a nursing professional while the former
underwent an appendectomy. The fact that nurses spend most of the time with their patients,
when compared to hospital administrators or physicians and address the needs and

2ESSAY
preferences of the patients, thus enhancing their recuperation was a significant factor that
made the RN join this profession.
Which nursing theorist/theory best relates to the interviewee’s practice?
The RN stated that Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations was most related to her
practice. She elaborated on the fact that experiences of patients in healthcare organizations
act in the form of significant indicators of the quality of care that is delivered. On analyzing
the response of the RN it could be deduced that she gives due emphasis on shared experience
between nurse and clients, during the process of care delivery, and does not restrict herself to
the administration of medications (Deane & Fain, 2016). The response also suggested that
adequate focus must be placed on meeting the preferences and needs of the patient, which in
turn would enhance their perception about the care that they receive, while being admitted to
the psychiatric ward (Black, 2017). The response also suggested that the RN demonstrates
compliance to the fact that the unique needs and priorities of the patients must be addressed,
besides demonstrating a positive interest towards them.
What current trends in the practice have you witnessed?
The three contemporary trends in nursing practice that were reported by the RN were
namely, a demographic shift, consumer education, preventive care, and health information
privacy. A shift in demographics has been identified all across the globe and indicates that
with an increase in age, people call for more healthcare resources. Hence, all nurses must
familiarize themselves with health issues that affect older adults (Cherry & Jacob, 2016).
Nurses and insurance providers have also been found to focus on engaging in preventive
measures that will allow all patients to live sustainably. Furthermore, consumer education is
also imperative to reduce healthcare burden, thus enhancing health outcomes. Emphasizing
on health information privacy is another aspect that has been found to enhance health

3ESSAY
information sharing, while preventing information theft and ensuring safety and security
(Roux & Halstead, 2017).
Bullying, Clique-Behavior, Incivility, Lateral/Horizontal violence
The RN stated that she has been a witness of or encountered incidents related to
bullying, clique-behavior and lateral violence. It is a well-established fact that caring and
compassion are the cornerstone of the nursing profession. However, nursing professionals
themselves are at the receiving end of hard-hearted behavior. The responses of the RN were
in accordance to the fact that nursing students and juniors are often subjected to verbal abuse
and bullying that causes significant emotional trauma to the victim (Karatas, Ozturk &
Bektas, 2017). Furthermore, the RN also talked about lateral violence, thereby highlighting
that a harmful and deliberate behavior is often demonstrated in hospital by one nursing
professional, towards others, which creates a negative impact on the work environment and
also hinders ability of the nurses to deliver optimal patient care (Roberts, 2015).
Recommendations for transition to practice
The RN highlighted the need of fostering patient interaction, demonstration of
compassion, awareness and empathy. In addition, it was also suggested that being respectful
towards others, effective time management, and continued professional learning would prove
beneficial during transition. Taking into consideration the fact that nursing graduates are not
completely prepared for delivering effective and safe inpatient care, during transition (Jones-
Bell, Halford-Cook & Parker, 2018). Thus, the recommendations suggested by the RN would
facilitate encountering the challenges in real-time hospital settings and would also enhance
the delivery of high quality care services to all patients, notwithstanding the work load or
staff shortage.

4ESSAY
The nurse theorist/theory which best relates to my perceived (future) nursing practice
The Transcultural Nursing Theory best fits with my nursing practice since it is based
on the fact that nurse must place necessary focus on the delivery culturally compatible
nursing care, besides delivering culture explicit and widespread care practices for all patients.
The theory will also help in facing adversative human conditions, death, or illness in
culturally expressive way (Prosen, 2015).
Conclusion
Thus, an analysis of the interview suggests that the RN follows the Peplau's Theory of
Interpersonal Relations and has faced several adverse events that are responsible for creating
negative impact and emotional trauma. In addition, the interview also provided an
explanation for the current trends in nursing practice and the efforts that must be taken during
transition to practice. The interview helped in gaining a sound understanding of the different
aspects that governed the decision of the nurse to join this profession, and also provided a
comprehensive overview of the challenges that might be faced during transition to practice.

5ESSAY
References
Black, B. (2017). Professional nursing-E-book: Concepts & challenges. Elsevier Health
Sciences. https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=ndcEDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=BETH+PERRY+BLACK+
EIGHT+EDITION+
(+PROFESSIONAL+NURSING)&ots=Ly7YjJMwYw&sig=vJmVrOYy8SrvGyox_-
BDsnMAVTo#v=onepage&q=BETH%20PERRY%20BLACK%20EIGHT
%20EDITION%20(%20PROFESSIONAL%20NURSING)&f=false
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management.
Elsevier Health Sciences. https://books.google.co.in/books?
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&ots=mNvg9luymt&sig=aKrbRcp1Eofkn6xs7xmKkzVZpgs#v=onepage&q=trends
%20in%20nursing%20practice&f=false
Deane, W. H., & Fain, J. A. (2016). Incorporating Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations
to promote holistic communication between older adults and nursing
students. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 34(1), 35-41.
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0898010115577975
Jones-Bell, L. J., Halford-Cook, C., & Parker, N. W. (2018). Transition to Practice--Part 3:
Implementing an Ambulatory Care Registered Nurse Residency Program: RN
Residency and Transition to Professional Practice Programs in Ambulatory Care--
Challenges, Successes, and Recommendations. Nursing Economics, 36(1), 35-44.
Retrieved from https://go.galegroup.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE
%7CA529490141&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=07461739
&p=AONE&sw=w

6ESSAY
Karatas, H., Ozturk, C., & Bektas, M. (2017). A study of bullying against nursing
students. journal of nursing research, 25(3), 198-202. doi:
10.1097/JNR.0000000000000144
Prosen, M. (2015). Introducing transcultural nursing education: Implementation of
transcultural nursing in the postgraduate nursing curriculum. Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 174, 149-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.640
Roberts, S. J. (2015). Lateral violence in nursing: A review of the past three decades. Nursing
Science Quarterly, 28(1), 36-41. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0894318414558614
Roux, G., & Halstead, J. A. (2017). Issues and trends in nursing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
https://books.google.co.in/books?
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e&ots=LxBWNsm5n7&sig=IqN2WSgGMz7tPBcyJxwsL85ZTnU#v=onepage&q=tre
nds%20in%20nursing%20practice&f=false
Townsend, M. C., & Morgan, K. I. (2017). Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of
care in evidence-based practice. FA Davis. https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=3a0-
DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=psychiatric+nurse+role&ots=mSYhKuKQDy&
sig=s0Gq2ghMSGSKQ3dkbqeHgJE9FX4#v=onepage&q=psychiatric%20nurse
%20role&f=false

7ESSAY
Appendix- Interview transcript
X- Hi, I am X. Thank you for providing me the permission to conduct this nursing theory
interview for the fulfilment of my course curriculum. Kindly note that the entire interview
will be recorded and transcribed verbatim, for the purpose of writing a report on the same.
Please feel free to state if you want to withdraw from the interview at any point of time. You
might even state if you do not want to provide response to a particular question. So, let us
begin with this interview.
1. Why did you choose the nursing profession?
Z- I decided that I wanted to become a nurse since I sincerely love working with individuals
and being compassionate towards others. During my childhood, once I was subjected to
appendectomy and was actually anxious about it. Moreover, the doctor was very strict and
spent an inadequate time with me, which in turn increased my apprehensions. However, it
was the nurse-in-charge who spent time with me, answered all my questions, and helped
putting me and my parents at ease. This helped me in my recovery and the incident has
always remained with me. This acted as a major inspiration for pursing the nursing
profession.
2. Which nursing theorist/theory best relates to your practice?
Z- I feel that the Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations best fits with my nursing
practice. I have always tried to develop a caring and compassionate approach towards all my
patients. I always hold the perception that merely following the instructions of the physician
and administering medications and other intervention to a patient is not the only duty of a
nursing professional. As a nurse, I always try to develop a good rapport with my patients,
thus fostering a nurse-patient relationship, which makes the entire treatment process reliant
on our shared experiences.

8ESSAY
3. What current trends in the practice have you witnessed?
Z- Currently I have observed that an increased focus in being placed on health information
privacy, consumer education and preventive care. Furthermore, over the past two years, I
have also observed a gradual shift in demographics, with older people being admitted more to
the healthcare facilities than ever.
4. Have you been ever involved in any event that encompasses clique behaviour, bullying, or
lateral and horizontal violence?
Z- Yes I have encountered all such incidents in my practice. I have often found that following
graduation, several young nurses are optimistic about embarking on a new journey. However,
soon after joining the healthcare organisation, they report about not being given necessary
assistance or support. I have also been bullied during my initial years at practice that was
manifested by my seniors. Moreover, some of my colleagues have reported lateral violence
where they have demonstrated dissatisfaction towards each other and their juniors.
5. Kindly suggest few recommendations that will help in transitioning to practice.
Z- You must take efforts to interact with your patients, demonstrate empathy, compassion,
and awareness. You must be respectful of the senior staff and should also take efforts to
manage workload. Try to consider perspectives of others and also engage in continued
professional learning throughout.
X- Thank you for the interview!