Ethical practice guidelines: an evaluation

Ethical practice guidelines (EPGs) were developed for use in Central Sydney Area Mental Health Service to guide contemporary mental health nursing practice and serve as a resource for clinical mental health nurses in relation to their professional conduct and practice. This survey of mental health nurses aimed to ascertain feedback on the application of the EPGs in the clinical arena. Nurses from the Central Sydney Area Mental Health Service (n = 350) were asked to complete a 15-item survey developed by the authors. A total of 121 nurses completed the survey. Findings from the survey reveal that the information provided in the EPGs is useful (91%) and the EPGs provide sufficient guidance for practice (94%). Most respondents (96%) reported feeling confident dealing with ethical practice situations and 75% indicated interest in further education and training in this domain. Findings from this survey support the need to explore avenues to facilitate education, discussion and reflective practice in relation to ethical mental health nursing practice.