Challenges Experienced by Psychiatric Nurses in Caring for Mental Health Patients in The Middle Eastern Islamic Cultural Context: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This narrative review explores the challenges experienced by psychiatric nurses in caring for mental health patients in the Middle Eastern Islamic cultural context through the lens of Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory. Accordingly, three main types of challenges have been noted to dominate the literature, and are discussed. These challenges include workplace violence, psychosocial discomfort, and personal skills and organizational resource limitations. This review also discusses the mitigation measures of these challenges, which require significant input from healthcare systems management, drawing on the need to facilitate a smooth acculturation transition based on organizational values, especially for expatriate nurses. Nevertheless, it is also apparent that psychiatric nurses already employ various coping strategies, such as finding meaning in one’s self.