Exploring Social Interactions in the Context of Justice System Involvement: Perspectives of Patients and Psychiatric Nurses.
Etienne Paradis-Gagné, Myriam Cader, Dave Holmes and 2 others
PMID 38767250WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses and patients described the tension of providing care while enforcing legal confinement.
Trust was hard to build but possible through honest communication and active listening. Patients reported boredom and confusion about legal steps as major stressors, not just their symptoms.
Key findings
01Nurses experience a dual role conflict between providing care and enforcing social control, which complicates the therapeutic alliance.
02Patients reported significant stress from lack of understanding about legal processes and boredom due to restricted activities.
03Trust was built through nurses' honesty, transparency, and active listening, rather than by hiding the coercive nature of the admission.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study only included inpatients, so it does not reflect the experience of people with justice system involvement who are treated in the community. The sample was small (19 participants) and drawn from a single institute in Eastern Canada, limiting transferability to other jurisdictions or healthcare systems. As a qualitative study, it identifies themes and perceptions but does not measure outcomes or the effectiveness of any nursing intervention.
Declared interests
No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific nursing strategies improve patient outcomes or reduce recidivism. The study describes the experiences and perceptions of a small group of nurses and patients; it does not test any intervention or measure clinical effectiveness.