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To critically synthesise current literature on the nurses' experiences in providing care for people presenting with mental health issues to the emergency department (ED).
Mental health-related presentations to EDs are increasing. Understanding nurses' experiences of providing care for this patient group will inform future strategies to enhance the care delivered in the ED.
CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection were searched from 2009 to 2024 for peer-reviewed qualitative papers exploring emergency nurses' perspectives of providing care for people with mental health issues, published in the English language. Quality was appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal tool. This review follows the PRISMA checklist for reporting.
Nine papers, reporting eight studies, were included in the review. Three themes emerged: attitudes towards mental illness, education limitations impacting confidence and structural barriers impacting care quality. The review reveals a disconnect between nurses' compassionate intentions and barriers such as unconscious stigma and prioritising physical illness over mental health concerns. The findings highlight the need for targeted mental health education to enhance ED nurses' confidence and competence. Inadequate local mental health policies also impact care delivery, contributing to suboptimal patient outcomes.
This review provides a deeper understanding of ED nurses' experiences of caring for people with mental health issues. A need to implement a multifaceted approach to mental health education, clear policies to guide care delivery and systems that promote prioritisation of patients presenting with mental health concerns was identified.
Insights into nurses' experiences can shape future ED practices and enhance outcomes for patients. Building ED nurses' capacity to deliver high-quality mental health care is critical.
As a review paper, no patient or public consultation took place.
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