Great importance has been attached to the interaction between nurse and patient in the psychiatric care environment, but nurses are struggling to find time for the interaction. Nurses practicing in environments of care where interaction is difficult because of a task-driven orientation have been shown to experience frustration and feelings of violating their personal ethic for caring. Using Jean Watson's Caring science theory as a theoretical framework, the lived experiences of eleven mental health nurses interacting with patients in transpersonal caring moments in psychiatric environments were explored using semi-structured interviews in this phenomenological study. The Colaizzi method of analysis was employed to explore themes and arrive at an essence of the phenomenon. Implications for practice were identified that included an expansion of professional boundaries and the need for specialized psychiatric units. Implications for education were identified that included the need for education in caring, in leadership and assertiveness, and in coordination of care. Implications for research were identified that included further research into transpersonal caring moment experiences across various nursing specialties to identify practice model implications. Partnerships were suggested to overcome barriers to information dissemination when new practice models are implemented.
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