How do nurses experience working with adolescents with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ or ‘emerging personality disorder'?

Nurses experience adults with a diagnosis of 'personality disorder' ('PD') as challenging but nothing is known of their experiences working with young people with a diagnosis of 'PD' or 'emerging PD'. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurses with this group. Six nurses were interviewed individually and the transcripts analysed employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two themes were identified: emotional impact and conflict and need for support. Participants described powerful emotional responses and heavy time demands as particular challenges. They also reflected on tensions that arose in the wider team and service context. The importance of reflective space, training and the need for specialist approaches, such as therapeutic input, was emphasized by all participants. The study’s findings suggest that while there are some similarities to adult services there are also issues specific to nursing adolescents with 'PD', which merit further attention, including the implications of the lack of diagnostic clarity for treatment approaches and the difficult interpersonal dynamics of the condition. Recommendations for practice include additional training in relation to the theoretical understanding of diagnosis itself and in working therapeutically with young people with the diagnosis employing approaches that have been found to be useful in adult services.