Attitudes, Power, and Ability to Care among U.S. Air Force Mental Health Nurses: A Descriptive Study
Abstract
Air Force mental health nurses provide care for patients in an environment differing from most civilian hospital settings. On an in-patient unit, which consists mainly of active duty military patients, there is a strong emphasis placed on evaluating the ability of the patient to perform their military duty. Society's negative attitudes toward mental illness are often even more evident within the military environment toward active duty personnel needing mental health care. If the organization to which the client belongs does not accept a client with mental illness, can the nurse, who works for the same organization, accept the client with mental illness? A descriptive study of 144 Air Force mental health nurses looks at the relationships among their attitudes toward mental illness, their sense of power within the military environment, and their ability to care. Using the nursing theory Modeling and Role-Modeling (Erickson, Tomlin, & Swain, 1990) a framework is provided which addresses the need of the nurse to approach the client with empathy and unconditional acceptance, as well as the nurses' role within the organizational system. The survey includes the use of three tools which measure attitudes toward mental illness, power within the work environment, and the nurses' ability to care. Significant correlations were found between these variables. Qualitative responses were found to be rich with descriptions of aspects which affect these nurses' ability to care for their patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine these relationships of attitudes, power, and ability to care for improvement of client/nurse relationships and improved client outcomes in the patient-care setting.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA267887
Entities
People
- Mary M. Higgins
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology