Understanding Helpful Nursing Care From the Perspective of Mental Health Inpatients With a Dual Diagnosis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

An estimated 30% to 50% of people with a mental illness also have a substance use problem. Referred to as having a dual diagnosis, these patients experience high levels of unmet needs, poor health outcomes, and require specialized care during psychiatric hospitalization. Research on nursing inpatients with a dual diagnosis is limited and patient perceptions of helpful care during hospitalization are unknown. What nursing interventions, attitudes, actions, and/or behaviors are perceived as helpful by patients with a dual diagnosis during psychiatric hospitalization? A qualitative-descriptive design was used. Twelve adult inpatients with a dual diagnosis were recruited using purposive sampling. Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted, and interview data were analyzed using content analysis. Helpful nursing occurred across three themes: (1) promoting health in everyday living, (2) managing substance use in tandem with mental illness, and (3) building therapeutic relationships. Specific examples of helpful interventions and their reported outcomes reinforce the critical role that nurses play in the health and recovery of inpatients with a dual diagnosis. The importance of collaborative, strengths-based approaches is highlighted, and expanding the nurse's role to include evidence-based responses to substance use is recommended.