Perceptions and Service Outcomes of a Nurse Practitioner Led Inpatient Psychiatric Consultant-Liaison Service in a Private Health Care Setting: A Prospective Observational Study.

Psychiatric consultant-liaison nurses play a crucial role in ensuring prompt and effective mental health care, though the volume of empirical research on nurse-led consultant-liaison models in the private sector is limited. This study evaluated the service activity and immediate service-level outcomes of a nurse-led Psychiatric Consultant-Liaison service within an Australian metropolitan private hospital. The study aimed to explore: (1) consumer case-mix; (2) trends in consumer referrals and outcomes; and (3) the perceived usefulness and acceptability of the service among referring nurses. A prospective, observational descriptive approach was employed, comprising evaluations of service activity between 2020 and 2023 and surveys of clinical nursing staff. The service was widely utilised, with 789 consumers referred for various mental health, neurological or psychosocial concerns. Depressive symptoms, anxiety, substance and self-harm risks were common and nurses reported positive perceptions of the service, particularly in the provision of enhanced support for behaviours of concern. Periods of state-wide COVID-19 restrictions were associated with increased presentations involving depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder and increased referrals to external providers. While the service facilitated effective management of complex mental health cases, general nursing staff reported continuing gaps in their mental health competencies. This study demonstrated that a nurse-led PCLN service was a highly utilised and valued model of care within the private acute hospital setting, supporting the assessment and management of complex mental health presentations. These findings highlight the expanded scope and relevance of the PCLN role in private healthcare and underscore the importance of ongoing mental health capability development among general nursing staff to maximise the effectiveness of liaison services.