A nursing team's approach to users of a mental health emergency room

This qualitative exploratory study was conducted in 2008, at a Municipal Emergency Care Center in Curitiba. Objective: to learn about the conception of the nursing team about emergencies in mental health, and analyze how the nursing team approaches users with mental disorders in cases of emergency. Participants were 6 nurses and 7 nursing technicians working in emergency and hospitalization. Data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews and organized into thematic categories. Participants considered psychiatric emergencies as situations that may threat their own lives or that of others. The emergency characteristics they mentioned were: aggressive and agitated behavior, suicide attempt and substance abuse. The first impression of the patient's behavior and an attempt to have conversation determine the conducts adopted by the professionals. They recognize their difficulty and lack of preparation to approach the patient. In conclusion, there is a need for permanent education on new services and for adjustments to existing services for care in this area.