[Not Available].

BACKGROUND

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often associated with significant stigma from nurses. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the types of knowledge mobilized by nurses and their reflective practice in caring for individuals with BPD experiencing a suicidal crisis.

METHODS

A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 34 nurses working in community mental health centers and psychiatric emergency units on Réunion Island. Three types of knowledge were assessed (biomedical, psychopathological, and practical knowledge grounded in nursing sciences), as well as reflective practice.

RESULTS

A significant correlation was observed between the overall knowledge score and the reflective practice score. However, no significant independent association was found between reflective practice and any of the three individual knowledge domains. An explanatory model, including several knowledge subdimensions, accounted for 37% of the variance in the reflective practice score.

DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that nurses’ reflective practice relies on the cross-cutting integration of various types of knowledge rather than on a single knowledge domain. The results underline the need to reconsider the place of nursing knowledge in initial and continuing education and highlight the need for pedagogical approaches that foster a reflective stance, especially in the context of crisis care.