Impact of educational program for psychiatric nurses on the use of successful practice strategies toward patient with psychotic disorders

Background: In particular, psychiatric nurses need continuous training and should be seen as a priority as they tend to have the most contact with patients, especially when they are at their worst. Aim of this study: Examine the impact of educational program for psychiatric nurses on the use of successful practice strategies toward patient with psychotic disorders. Research design: quasi-experimental research design with pre-post assessment. Setting: This study was conducted at the Benha Governmental Hospital for Mental Health in Benha City, Qalubia Governorate. Subjects: 60 nurses from the hospital's inpatient department. Tools of data collection: Nurses characteristics data form and nurses self-reported practice questionnaire regarding management of patients with psychotic disorders. Results: There was significant differences between pre and post-program phases in total nurses' performance mean score , it showed statistically significant decreases in the mean score of communicating own perception from 14.2±3.5 to 5.0±1.7 (p < 0.001), and increases in the mean score of changing patient view from 7.7±2.3 to 16.5±4.1 (p < 0.001) and no significant changes in the mean scores of confirming patient view (p=0.97), or using resources (p=0.91). At post-program, confirming patient view mean score were significantly lower among younger age nurses, with bachelor qualifications, and less experience years in nursing and psychiatric nursing (p < 0.001), while at the pre-program, the changing of patient view and using resources mean score were significantly higher among younger age nurses with bachelor qualifications, and less experience years in nursing and psychiatric nursing at post program. Additionally, there was no significant relation between nurses' demographic characteristics and their mean score of communicating own view while, post-program, the mean score was higher in diploma nurses compared to bachelor degree ones. Conclusion: The educational program led to significant improvement of the studied psychiatric nurses' total practice mean scores which showed significant decrease in mean score of communicating own perception and increase in mean score of changing patient view. Their total practice mean score regarding confirming and changing patient view were influenced by nurses age, qualifications, experience years in nursing and psychiatric nursing. Recommendations: The heads of psychiatric departments must subject nurses to educational programs, while nurses need to continually upgrade and update their skills by reading and attending seminars and workshops specializing in this field.