Nurses' experiences of the causes of their lack of interest in working in psychiatric wards: a qualitative study

Background The shortage of psychiatric nurses is a major healthcare challenge. Lack of interest (LOI) contributes to the shortage of psychiatric nurses. Nonetheless, there are limited studies in this area. The present study was conducted to explore nurses' experiences of the causes of their LOI in working in psychiatric wards. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in 2016-2019 using the content analysis approach. Participants were 27 nurses purposively recruited with maximum variation from the psychiatric wards of three referral hospitals in Iran. Data were collected via unstructured interviews and were concurrently analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach recommended by Graneheim and Lundman. Results The causes of participants' LOI in working in psychiatric wards were grouped into three main categories, namely inadequate professional skills for psychiatric care practice, negative public attitude towards psychiatric nurses, and concerns over patients. Conclusion This study suggests that the causes of nurses' LOI in working in psychiatric wards are not only personal, but also social and organizational. Findings help managers and authorities develop strategies to increase psychiatric nurses' interest in working in psychiatric wards through improving their work conditions and professional knowledge and skills.