BACKGROUND: There is a national initiative to integrate recovery-oriented practices into the delivery of mental health services. Few empirical studies have been conducted to measure these practices in psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing, particularly in short-term acute hospital settings. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the reliability of the Recovery Self Assessment–Registered Nurse Version (RSA-RN) and explored recovery practices of PMH nurses and nursing staff in an acute treatment setting. DESIGN: A descriptive one-group design with convenience sampling was employed. One hundred and five participants completed the RSA-RN and the demographic data form. RESULTS: The RSA-RN full-scale instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the five subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Significant, favorable relationships were found between RSA-RN scores and nursing staff who (a) had formal education in mental health recovery, (b) considered themselves knowledgeable about recovery, and (c) considered their place of work to be “recovery-oriented.” CONCLUSION: The RSA-RN is a useful tool in measuring recovery-oriented practice. Formal education should be considered as an intervention to increase recovery-oriented practices in PMH nursing.
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