Use of Tasers on people with mental illness A New Zealand database study.

Background: In 2006-2007 New Zealand police deployed the Taser X26 electro-muscular incapacitation device for a twelve month trial across four police districts. Criteria for use of the Taser included "individuals in various states of mental health crisis".

Aims: To provide a descriptive analysis of the use of Tasers by the New Zealand police; to identify those incidents that involved people in mental health emergencies; and to compare this use with that which occurred in incidents of criminal arrest.

Compulsory community mental health treatment: literature review.

Following their introduction in the United States in the 1970s various forms of compulsory treatment in the community have been introduced internationally. Compulsory treatment in the community involves a statutory framework that mandates enforceable treatment in a community setting. Such frameworks can be categorized as preventative, least restrictive, or as having both preventative and least restrictive features.

Return to nursing programmes: justifications for a mental health specific course.

This paper presents the findings from research that investigated the feasibility of developing a specialty return to mental health nursing programme in New Zealand. This was achieved through a scoping of existing return to nursing programmes; a survey of non-active nurses; and stakeholder consultation via interviews or focus groups. Existing generic programmes fail to attract non active nurses wishing to focus on mental health nursing.

Concerns about the use of TASERs on people with mental illness in New Zealand.

The introduction of TASERs into New Zealand policing, and especially the identification of people in mental health crisis as one potential target group, raises serious concerns for mental health nurses. TASERs have been associated with over 150 deaths internationally, and raise the possibility of additional trauma for people in mental health crisis.

Registered nurses as responsible clinicians under the New Zealand Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

The objectives of this research were to determine how many registered nurses are working as 'responsible clinicians', under what phases of the legislation they are functioning, and to describe the enabling processes and barriers to nurses undertaking this statutory role. An anonymous descriptive survey was distributed to the 11 nurses who were currently responsible clinicians as well as five senior nurses selected from each of the 21 District Health Boards and the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services (n = 121). The response rate was 88.

Best practice management strategies for mental health nurses during the clinical application of civil commitment: an overview.

Aim: The aim of this article is to outline best practice management strategies for nurses during the clinical application of civil commitment of mentally ill persons.

Method: A thorough literature search on 'coercion' and 'civil commitment' was undertaken using MEDLINE, CINAHL and PSYCHINFO. Published and unpublished research undertaken by the authors in New Zealand on this topic was drawn upon.

Outpatient commitment and coercion in New Zealand: a matched comparison study.

Background: It has been hypothesized that a degree of coercion is a necessary component in using outpatient commitment to attain therapeutic outcome for those people subject to mental health law. However, what degree of coercion is required and how it is sustained is poorly understood. There is speculation that patients' recognition of beneficial as well as unwanted aspects of outpatient commitment (ambivalence) maybe an indicator that the necessary level of coercion has been achieved to facilitate a therapeutic outcome.

Gambling and problem gambling among recently sentenced women in new zealand prisons.

Ninety-four recently sentenced women prisoners were interviewed to assess aspects of their gambling involvement, problem gambling and relationships between gambling and criminal offending. A third of the women, on the basis of their SOGS-R scores, were assessed as lifetime probable pathological gamblers and just under a quarter were assessed as probable pathological gamblers during the 6 months prior to imprisonment. For women prisoners, a preference for non-casino gaming machines and housie were predictive of problem gambling.

Gambling and problem gambling among recently sentenced male prisoners in four New Zealand prisons.

Recently sentenced inmates in four New Zealand male prisons (N = 357) were interviewed to assess their gambling involvement, problem gambling and criminal offending. Frequent participation in and high expenditure on continuous forms of gambling prior to imprisonment were reported. Nineteen percent said they had been in prison for a gambling-related offence and most of this offending was property-related and non-violent.

A survey of threats and violent behaviour by patients against registered nurses in their first year of practice.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of aggressive behaviours by patients against nurses in the first year of practice, and to determine the psychological impact of this behaviour. An anonymous survey was sent to registered nurses in their first year of practice. From the 1169 survey instruments that were distributed, 551 were returned completed (a response rate of 47%).

Horizontal violence: experiences of Registered Nurses in their first year of practice.

Background: Interpersonal conflict among nurses (traditionally called 'horizontal violence' or 'bullying') is a significant issue confronting the nursing profession. However, there is a dearth of research focusing on horizontal violence experienced by new graduate nurses.

Aims: In order to assess the priority for preventive intervention programmes, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of horizontal violence experienced by nurses in their first year of practice; to describe the characteristics of the most distressing incidents experienced; to determine the consequences, and measure the psychological impact, of such events; and to determine the adequacy of training received to manage horizontal violence.

Advanced 'prescribing' of nurses' emergency holding powers under New Zealand mental health legislation.

Since the mid-19th century doctors have exercised almost exclusive control in health professionals' decisions concerning compulsory assessment and treatment of the mentally ill. This control has the potential to compromise the legitimate professional practice of other mental health professionals. A new approach to mental health legislation has seen the involvement of a range of health professionals in legislated mental health roles, including the power of registered nurses to detain patients in hospital under Section 111 of the New Zealand Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act (1992).

Initiating committal proceedings "just in case" with voluntary patients: a critique of nursing practice.

Voluntary patients entering mental health units retain the right to accept or refuse treatment, including ongoing admission, as they see fit. However the nature of acute mental distress means that some patients have fluctuations in their mental status and competency to make informed decisions. Inpatient mental health nurses face the ongoing challenge of practising in a way that balances the requirement to support and promote the autonomy of voluntary patients with the need, occasionally, to take actions which although they may appear paternalistic are needed to protect those patients or other people.