People hospitalised on acute psychiatric wards report mixed feelings of safety and vulnerability.

Context The experience of psychiatric inpatient hospitalisation has received increasing scrutiny over recent years. Risk to self or others is usually the core reason for admission to hospital; as such, nurses are required to maintain safety for patients. However, patients have mixed feelings (often negative) about their hospitalisation. Trauma experienced during hospitalisation has been termed ‘sanctuary harm’ to recognise the impact of the experience. It is important to provide a therapeutic environment to foster recovery and decrease the likelihood of patients absconding, an event which has associated negative effects.