Exploring the benefits of group reflection on mental health issues for trauma nurses

Reflective practice has been shown to raise the quality of nursing care, but group reflection is not usually part of routine professional practice in general hospitals. On a general hospital trauma and orthopaedic ward, there were concerns that nursing staff lacked the knowledge and confidence required to support patients with mental healthcare needs, such as patients who had attempted suicide or patients who self-harmed. This put staff at risk of work-related stress and burnout.

Between October 2019 and June 2020, nursing staff on that ward were offered psychoeducation and reflective practice group sessions, developed in collaboration between the mental health liaison team and the ward manager. An evaluation of the sessions showed that staff valued having time and space to share experiences with colleagues and learn from each other. Staff’s knowledge of mental health and confidence in supporting patients with mental health issues had improved after the sessions. This article describes how the sessions were developed and discusses the findings of their evaluation, which appear to confirm the value of reflective practice in healthcare.