Introduction and aim: Social interaction plays a crucial role in inpatient psychiatric care. Patient-staff interaction is vital for building trust and a sense of safety. Conversely, a lack of interaction leaves patients feeling invisible. Joint activities enhance social interaction, but their implementation poses challenges and staff commitment significantly impacts success. This study illuminates the meaning of staff engaging in joint activities with patients.
Methods and results: This qualitative study utilized narrative interviews with nursing professionals and data was interpreted using phenomenological hermeneutics. Fourteen nursing professionals with experience from working in adult psychiatric inpatient care in different parts of Sweden participated in this study. Narrative interviews were carried out and the participants were encouraged to narrate situations where they engaged with patients in joint activities. Follow up questions focused on understanding how these situations made the participants feel and act. Phenomenological hermeneutics inspired by Ricœur and Lindseth and Norberg was used to interpret the narratives. The interpretation process consisted of three stages with the formulation of a naïve understanding, a structural analysis and finally reaching a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.
Preliminary results indicate that the meaning of engaging in joint activities with patients can be seen as a process of exploring and discovering. Engaging in activities means taking chances and not always knowing what result to expect as well as having to deal with potential criticism from co-workers. On the other hand, engaging in activities means discovering new facets and aspects of the patient as well as of oneself. These aspects of oneself can mean feelings of pride and hope and gaining a better understanding of oneself. This in turn means that the nursing professionals and the patients become two persons through sharing the joint activity, rather than remaining only “staff” and “patient”.
Conclusion: The preliminary results from this study point to the dynamic process that engaging with patients in joint activities can be. This process means that despite uncertainties and criticism, new facets of both patient and nursing professional can be uncovered. This experience may mean feelings of pride, hope and a deeper self-understanding as well as a transcendence of roles. This knowledge is important when considering motivation and capacity in implementation of interaction-focused interventions.