Rural families as resources for family members who are mentally ill: A call for nursing involvement

The concept of Rooming In, developed by country psychiatrist Mike Richardson, is presented as an exemplar of an innovative mental health family nursing concept and provides a context for the further evaluation of the nurseʹs role in family care. Rooming In involves the 24-hour voluntary care of a mentally ill person by a close friend or relative on the general hospital ward. This article describes a descriptive, qualitative pilot research project conducted in a rural general hospital in New South Wales, Australia. Six family members, their mentally ill relatives, friends, and registered nursing staff were interviewed for the study. Data are presented as categories derived from the analysis of interview transcripts.