Providing nursing care for a patient with borderline personality disorder on an acute inpatient unit: a phenomenological study.

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a study that used a phenomenological framework to examine the experience of six nurses who had provided inpatient care to a patient with borderline personality disorder, exhibiting active self-harming behaviours. The nurses' experiences of providing care were considered as being unsure, being in conflict, struggling to make sense of the patient's experience, and being traumatized. Difficulties were related to both the patient's behaviour and the organizational demands of care provision. The study highlighted the need for: education about the disorder and its treatment; comprehensive models of care; guidelines for nursing interventions; and supervision of staff.