ABSTRACT
Policy, patient mix, size of the facility, speed of turnover, and numbers of staff and patients constitute the context, goals, and hour-by-hour realities for the people who inhabit acute mental health settings. Context is not a trivial background fixture, but includes acutely mentally unwell patients, busy staff, and a multi-faceted environment that force fluidity and adaptability on all who spend hours there each day. Admissions, discharges, ongoing assessment, and unpredictable interactions and events permeate the milieu as thoroughly as sauce penetrates stew.
