Group process interpretations in liaison psychiatry nurse groups

Nurse groups are generally viewed as supportive adjuncts to other forms of liaison psychiatry interventions. Recent developments in systems approaches to liaison psychiatry suggest that such groups may be used to alter the values, norms, and behavior of a unit system since nurses are viewed as the culture bearers and socializers of units. Examining the group process in weekly meetings offers an opportunity to expose covert group norms. Group process interpretations assist the nurses in establishing therapeutic norms and result in an altered socialization process. Of the five units in which this approach was attempted, three reported successful results throughout the unit system. Various issues in applying group process interventions are discussed, including: the establishment of an alliance, the progression of interpretations, management of resistance, conditions of success and failure, and other therapeutic elements in such groups.