[Barriers and facilitators to integrating academic nursing roles into psychiatric practice: Partial results of the AkaPP study].

Abstract

Introduction: The integration of academically qualified nurses into psychiatric care is crucial to the quality of patient care and the professional satisfaction of nurses. Despite its increasing importance and political demand, the integration of academic nursing roles into (psychiatric) care practice appears to be progressing slowly. This study therefore examines how academically qualified nurses who work in direct psychiatric nursing practice, practice development or nursing research perceive the integration of their academic nursing role into psychiatric care practice and which contextual factors promote or inhibit the integration of academic nursing roles into psychiatric nursing and care practice.

Methods: Data collection for the nationwide AkaPP study took place between August and November 2020 using a specially developed online questionnaire. The target population of the study was academically qualified nurses working in psychiatric settings (n = 185). The subgroup of academically qualified nurses working in direct psychiatric nursing practice, practice development or nursing research (n = 100) was analyzed as part of this sub-study. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistical methods as well as appropriate statistical procedures to test the correlation between certain variables of role development or role integration and the rating of role integration (Chi-square test, Cramer's V, Spearman's rank correlation). Qualitative data (free text data) were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Reporting was based on the STROBE checklist.

Results: Overall, role integration is rated as less successful (MV = 2.62; SD = 1.309). The results show that time resources for extended tasks (V = .554, p < .000) and for exchange and networking (V = .570, p < .001) correlate significantly with satisfaction with role integration. A specific description of tasks and activities (V = .522, p < .000) and for research activities (V = .453, p < .001) are also moderately to strongly associated with a positive assessment of role integration. On the other hand, induction concepts, trainee programs, and specific training courses do not show a strong statistical correlation with role integration. The use of systematic concepts such as the PEPPA framework was described by only a small group but tended to show a higher level of satisfaction. The main obstacles to successful role integration were lack of acceptance by members of one's own discipline (68.2%) or lack of appropriate differentiation of tasks and activities (60.5%).

Conclusion: In order to successfully integrate academically qualified nurses into psychiatric nursing practice, nursing management, educational institutions, and policy makers should pay more attention to the provision of time resources, clear role descriptions and the promotion of research activities. The implementation of systematic approaches to role development could also improve nurses' integration and satisfaction.