A survey of psychiatric nursing practice in two inner city acute admission wards

In response to the British government’s Review of Mental Health Nursing this paper reports on a study which examined nursing practice in two inner city acute admission wards. Eight nursing staff maintained a record of their activities over a 7‐day period according to four operationalized variables. Qualitative detail was also collected to enable the specification of activities. The amount of time available for patient contact work is calculated and those activities which currently restrict opportunities for experienced nursing staff to have therapeutic interactions with their patients are identified. The findings do not differ markedly from earlier studies and some tentative conclusions are drawn concerning the therapeutic milieu within an inner city psychiatric in‐patient facility.