Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan KSS(1), Hong LY(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Kwai Chung Hospital
Keyword 3: :
nurses’ confidence
Keyword 4: :
patient anxiety
Keyword 6: :
coaching program
Introduction :
Newly graduated psychiatric nurses often experience significant challenges and lack confidence during patient admissions, a critical phase marked by high patient anxiety, fear, and disorientation. This leads to inconsistent therapeutic communication, fragmented care, and increased stress for both patients and staff. Despite existing preceptorship programs, support remains inconsistent due to limited supervision, preceptors’ unfamiliarity with ward practices, and limited psychiatric experience.
To address this gap, a ward manager-led coaching program was developed and implemented, offering structured, real-time guidance on therapeutic communication, anxiety recognition, and admission procedures tailored to the ward’s culture and patient needs. The initiative aimed to boost nurses’ confidence, improve patient-centered care, and create a safer clinical environment.
The coaching program was guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model, the project formulated a PICO question comparing manager-led coaching to no structured coaching in enhancing confidence among new psychiatric nurses during admissions.
Objectives :
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a ward manager-led coaching program in enhancing the confidence of newly graduated psychiatric nurses in managing patient anxiety during the admission procedure.
Methodology :
A pre–post intervention study was conducted with 11 psychiatric nurses (0–1 year of experience) in Ward L9 at Kwai Chung Hospital. Participants attended structured coaching sessions focusing on therapeutic communication, anxiety management, and ward-specific admission procedures. Confidence levels were measured using the Confidence Survey for Psychiatric Nurses in Managing Patients During Admission before and after the program. Nurses’ satisfaction with the training and admission procedures was also assessed through a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.
Result & Outcome :
Results:
All participants completed the program and surveys. Mean confidence scores significantly increased from 104.18 (SD = 53.95) pre-training to 244.45 (SD = 29.55) post-training (p < 0.001). Most nurses reported high satisfaction with the training, indicating improved efficiency and confidence in managing patient admissions. Suggestions for improvement included more time for patient orientation and creating a dedicated admission room to reduce anxiety. Conclusions:
The ward manager-led coaching program effectively enhanced newly graduated psychiatric nurses’ confidence in managing patient anxiety during admission procedures. Implementing structured, ward-specific coaching can improve patient experiences, support nurses in early clinical practice, and potentially reduce staff turnover in psychiatric settings.
