Database of New Zealand mental health research

About   |   Browse   |   Search   |   Submit

Principal contact
Name	Dr Richard Mullen
Email	Email address is not available; please contact keadmin@tepou.co.nz for more information.
The research
Summary	This study aimed to assess the extent of defensive clinical practice by psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses in a New Zealand Mental Health Service.
Objectives	This study aimed to assess the extent of defensive clinical practice by psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses in a New Zealand Mental Health Service.
Study design	An anonymous questionnaire survey, addressing perceptions of a variety of defensive practices, was sent to all psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses working in acute clinical settings in the publically funded mental health service in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Methods	Survey
Results	Defensive practice is perceived as widespread in psychiatric settings. In particular, practices such as questioning patients about their safety, admissions to hospital, and delayed discharge from hospital were often perceived as occurring for defensive purposes. Psychiatric nurses were more likely than psychiatrists to percieve such practices as defensive.
Conclusions	Defensive practice is common in mental health. This is desptie New Zealand's no-fault compensation scheme, and so presumably results from concerns other then the risk of financial liability. There may be particular pressures in mental health to practice defensively.
Key Descriptors	Clinical Practice
Disciplines	Nursing, Psychiatry
Settings	Inpatient, Acute Inpatient
Diagnostic Categories	General
Populations	General Population
Other Keywords	Defensive practice, accountability, liability
Ethics approval	Yes
Academic led	Yes
Service led	No
How were service users involved	No involvement
Publication in peer review journal	Yes
Supporting information
Uploaded files
Links	New Zealand Medical Journal, 2008, 121(1286), 1-7 http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/121-1286/3374/content.pdf

Page last updated: 7 November 2008