"The physical environment is so important, but it's not everything"-nursing staffs' experiences of moving to a new purpose-built forensic psychiatric clinic.

Abstract

Purpose: The redesigning of psychiatric care environments has been increasingly recognized as a factor that could influence therapeutic outcomes and staff experiences. This study aimed to describe nursing staff's experiences of caring for patients after moving to a new purpose-built forensic psychiatric clinic.

Methods: Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with the nursing staff. A thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's approach was used, resulting in five themes describing nursing staff's experiences of caring for patients in this new setting.

Results: The findings showed that the care environment was pleasant and provided possibilities for mental recovery for the patients; however, the design of the environment in combination with a lack of staff presence led to a decrease in interactions and connections with the nursing staff.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that moving to the new purpose-built facility may benefit patients' well-being and autonomy through an improved physical care environment. The beneficial impact of a number of psychosocial factors in the care environment has been contemporaneously undermined, which affects the working environment and the possibility for the nursing staff to develop caring relationships. This study emphasizes the importance of continuous staff presence in ensuring good and safe care.