Experiences of untrained mental health nurses when caring for mental health care users in Blouberg Municipality clinics, South Africa,

Abstract

Background: Untrained mental health nurses are regarded as registered nurses by the South African Nursing Council (SANC) and, in terms of the Nursing Act (Act No. 33 of 2005), their scope of practice permits them to assume full responsibility and accountability for providing comprehensive nursing care to patients across all health care settings. This includes providing emergency care, ensuring the safe implementation of nursing interventions, and administering treatment or medication prescribed by an authorised registered practitioner. Purpose of the study: To examine the experiences of untrained mental health nurses in Blouberg Municipality, South Africa. Methodology: An exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design within a qualitative approach was used. This study was conducted in the Blouberg Municipality, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The population comprised male and female untrained mental health nurses with more than one year of experience. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the municipality, clinics, and participants. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of Venda Ethics Committee, relevant health institutions, and participants provided informed consent. Data were collected through individual interviews using audio recorder, with the researcher serving as the primary data collection instrument. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Three themes emerged from the analysis: Patients’ factors impacting untrained mental health nurses; Knowledge deficiency; Psychological factors impacting untrained mental health nurses. Ethical principles were adhered to throughout the study Conclusion From the research findings it is recommended that the Department of Health should provide continuous in-service training and workshops on mental health care for untrained mental health nurses to improve their knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing MHCUs and further research should be conducted in other municipalities and healthcare settings with larger sample sizes to gain broader insights into the experiences of untrained mental health nurses.