Locked versus open ward environments and restrictive measures in acute psychiatry in Greece: Nursing students' attitudes and experiences

Purpose: To examine student nurses' attitudes and experiences of door policies and restrictive measures in acute psychiatric care.

Methods: A mixed-method study with 274 third-year students.

Results: Participants' attitudes towards door locking and other containment measures appeared to be more a matter of custom, practice and tradition at particular units. The therapeutic benefits of open doors was the central organizing element in open units experiences while locked doors appeared to be "invisible" when the locked unit was perceived as a caring environment.

Practical implications: Exploring student nurses' attitudes towards crucial and debatable aspects of mental health practice contributes in cultivating a critical and analytical attitude towards the service they provide necessary for supporting a recovery mental health model and building a strong professional identity.