A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF REHABILITATION NURSES’ INTERACTIONS WITH PATIENTS AT THE PROVINCIAL MENTAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

The interaction between psychosocial rehabilitation nurses and patients is an essential aspect of the recovery process for individuals with mental disorders and involves distinctive relational experiences in daily professional practice. This study aimed to explore and describe the meaning of rehabilitation nurses’ experiences in interacting with patients at the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Unit of the Provincial Mental Hospital. This research employed a qualitative approach using transcendental descriptive phenomenology. Participants consisted of two rehabilitation nurses selected through purposive sampling based on their work experience and active involvement in psychosocial rehabilitation activities. Data were collected through three sessions of in-depth interviews with each participant and supported by non-participant observation. Data analysis was conducted through a stepwise coding process to identify essential experiential themes. The findings revealed three major themes: interaction with patients as a source of meaning in nurses’ lives, discovering meaning through accompanying patients’ suffering, and nurses’ self-transformation through deep involvement with patients. Interactions with patients were understood not only as professional relationships but also as human experiences that shaped self-reflection and nurses’ perspectives on life. The study concludes that these experiences reflect a process of meaning-making as explained in Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy. This study recommends the provision of reflective psychological spaces for rehabilitation nurses to support emotional well-being and strengthen work meaning in mental health services