Abstract
Introduction
Emergency nurses’ negative attitudes and lack of caring have been identified as factors
affecting the experience of individuals with mental illness in emergency departments.
This study examined the relationships between emergency nurses’ perceptions of stigma,
attribution, caring behaviors, and individualized care toward people with mental illness.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 813 nurses working in United States emergency
departments. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire; the Mental Illness:
Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale-4; the Attribution Questionnaire; 24-Item Caring Behaviors
Inventory; and the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse version. Data analyses consisted
of descriptive and correlation statistics and multiple linear regression.
Results
The findings from the final regression analysis revealed that caring had a significant
relationship with individualized care (version A: β = 0.70, P < .001; Version B: β = 0.73; P < .001). Stigma and attribution had significant inverse relationships with individualized
care (β = −0.07, P < .01; β = −0.06, P < .05, respectively).
Discussion
The results of this study indicated that emergency nurses’ perception of individualized
care toward people with mental illness is mostly associated with the nurses’ level
of caring behaviors toward this population. Stigma and attribution had little to no
effect. Findings from this study reinforce nurses’ altruistic and caring qualities.
The findings suggest the need for a possible paradigm shift from antistigma training
to trainings that prioritize caring behaviors toward mental illness. This could ultimately
improve health equity, safety, and overall outcomes for people with mental illness.
Key words
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Biography
Jennifer T. McIntosh, PhD, RN, CNE, PMH-BC, NEA-BC, Member, Emergency Nurses Association, is a lecturer at Yale School of Nursing, Orange, CT; and is an adjunct faculty at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY and City University of New York School of Professional Studies, New York, NY. ORCID identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8487-3890.
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Published online: October 17, 2022
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