Mental Health Risk Assessments of Patients, by Nurses Working in Mental Health Settings: A Qualitative Study Using Cognitive Continuum Theory

Abstract

Mental health risk-assessments are an important part of nursing in mental health settings, to protect patients or others from harm. Even so, nurses often have difficulty identifying patients posing a credible risk (either to self or others), so guidance is recommended. However, despite an extensive and growing body of risk-oriented literature, comparatively little expands upon contemporary knowledge of nurses and patient risk assessment. Therefore, it remains unclear how nurses understand risk and undertake their risk assessments. To address this knowledge gap in nurses’ decision-making processes, this study used the established Cognitive Continuum Theory as a novel means to explore the risk-assessment of patients by nurses working in mental health settings.

Acknowledgments

The researchers thank the Australian College of Nurses and the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association for their support during the recruitment stage of this study.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the conception of this study, refining and further development of the original concept. Darren Conlon led the literature search and analysis, data collection, thematic analysis of data, extraction of findings, and manuscript editing. All authors agree the manuscript is the authors’ original work, has not received prior publication, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. All authors have seen and approved the final draft of the manuscript being submitted, agree with its submission to Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, and abide by the copyright terms and conditions of Taylor & Francis. All authors agree Darren Conlon is the contact person for the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Addendum

Since this research was completed Toby Raeburn has accepted the position of Associate Professor at the Australian Catholic University, whilst Timothy Wand has accepted a professorship at the University of Wollongong, Australia.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.