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Mental Health Nurses (mental + health_nurse)
Kinds of Mental Health Nurses Selected AbstractsTe Ao Maramatanga: The New Zealand College of Mental Health NursesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2004Anthony J O'Brien No abstract is available for this article. [source] Scoping the prospects of Australian mental health nursingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2000Michael Clinton ABSTRACT: In March 2000 the Australian & New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses submitted the final report on the National Scoping Study of Mental Health Nursing in Australia to the Mental Health Branch of the Department of Health and Aged Care. In this final article, in a series of four, the authors present an overview of the future prospects of mental health nursing in Australia. [source] Scoping practice issues in the Australian mental health nursing workforceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2000Michael Clinton ABSTRACT This is the third of four articles on the scoping study of the Australian mental health nursing workforce conducted on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses (ANZCMHN) for the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC) National Working Group on Mental Health (NWGMH). Its purpose is to focus on factors that significantly affect mental health nursing practice. The issues of advanced practice, regulation of nursing, accreditation, credentialling and demarcation with other disciplines are addressed. [source] Scoping mental health nursing educationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2000Michael Clinton ABSTRACT: In late 1999 the National Mental Health Working Group of the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council commissioned the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses to undertake a scoping study of mental health nursing. A final report will be submitted to the National Mental Health Working Group in February 2000. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to some of the systemic problems that confront the education of mental health nurses in Australia. Shortcomings in the preparation of undergraduate students of nursing for commencing practice in mental health nursing are described and comments are given on issues affecting the quality of postgraduate mental health nursing education. KEY WORDS: mental health, nursing education. [source] Development and validation of clinical indicators for mental health nursing practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2000Georgina Skews ABSTRACT: A national study was undertaken in Australia to develop and validate a set of clinical indicators for mental health nursing. Using survey and action research procedures, the indicators were developed in two stages. During stage one, focus group interviews involving 39 nurses were conducted at national conferences in Australia and New Zealand in order to provide a pool of indicator statements. A Delphi survey of an Australian sample of mental health nurses (n = 33) was then conducted to refine the indicators. In stage two, the refined indicators were tested and validated in selected clinical settings. A total of 1751 mental health nurses employed at 14 sites were involved in the second stage of the study. The resulting data were used to establish the set of national indicators that the Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses will use in practice accreditation and benchmarking. [source] Medicine use in older people's inpatient mental health servicesJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2010J. A. BAKER phd mphil msc bnurs (hons) rmn Accessible summary ,,Aging increases the risks associated with medicines. ,,Complex regimes of medicines are used with older people in mental health services. ,,Mental Health Nurses need to consider their skills and knowledge in dealing with these complex regimes. Abstract The aims of this audit were to establish the range and volumes of medicines used in older people's mental health settings and to explore the safety of the prescribing habits through the application of the revised Beers criteria. An audit of all patients on all selected wards (both functional and organic) for current prescriptions of all drugs routinely prescribed on the census day was undertaken on 11 wards in three Mental Health NHS Trusts in the North West of England. Data were collected on 154 patients in 11 different inpatient settings in three Mental Health Trusts. A total of 153 patients had 882 prescriptions of 196 drugs (mean 5.8 drugs). Most frequently prescribed drugs were aspirin (n= 57, 6.5%), paracetamol (n= 36, 4.1%) and quetiapine (n= 35, 4.0%). Nine of the 48 potentially inappropriate medicines in the revised Beers criteria had been prescribed, although at within appropriate limits. The audit highlights the complexity of poly-pharmacotherapy in older adults admitted to mental health services. Further works needs to establish whether nurses have the clinical knowledge and skills to ensure safe practice. There appears to be continued variation in prescribing practice. [source] Views on nurse prescribing: a survey of community mental health nurses in the Republic of IrelandJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2009J. WELLS phd rpn A nurse prescribing scheme has recently been implemented within the Republic of Ireland. This paper reports on the views of community mental health nurses on nurse prescribing just prior to the implementation of the scheme. Data were gathered through a 13-item questionnaire administered to 103 members of the Association of Community Mental Health Nurses in Ireland. Results indicated a distinct difference of view between male and female community mental health nurses, with female nurses having greater reservations towards the desirability of nurse prescribing in relation to educational preparation and impact on professional relationships. Overall, only 17% of respondents favoured being supervised in their prescribing practice by their consultant psychiatrist. The paper concludes that there is ambivalence towards prescribing in this important group of nurses which may need to be taken into account if nurse prescribing is to be successfully implemented within the Irish mental health service context. [source] Whose life is it anyway?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2008An exploration of five contemporary ethical issues that pertain to the psychiatric nursing care of the person who is suicidal: Part one ABSTRACT:, It is self-evident that ethical issues are important topics for consideration for those involved in the care of the person who is suicidal. Nevertheless, despite the obvious relationship between Mental Health nurses and care of the person who is suicidal, such nurses have hitherto been mostly silent on these matters. As a result, this two-part paper focuses on a number of contemporary issues which might help inform the ethical discourse and resultant Mental Health nursing care of the person who is suicidal. Part one of this paper focuses on the issues: Whose life is it anyway? Harming of our bodies and the inconsistency in ethical responses and, Is suicide ever a reasonable thing to do? The authors find that this contemporary view within the suicidology academe and the corresponding legal position in most western (developed) countries is that the individual owns his/her own body. Yet given that contemporary mental healthcare policy and associated practice positions do not reflect view, this can easily lead to the scenario where a Mental Health nurse is faced with a major ethical dilemma, and the corresponding probability of moral distress. The authors also find that it is inaccurate to posit a simple positive correlation between the potential seriousness and/or extent of bodily harm and the degree of paternalistic removal of an individual's rights to personal body ownership. Lastly, the authors find that the relevant theoretical and ethical literature in this area suggests, at least for some and under certain conditions, suicide can be the right thing to do. [source] An examination of frequent nursing interventions and outcomes in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unitINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2009Candace Bobier ABSTRACT:, Little is known about which nursing interventions used in adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment demonstrate improvements in outcome in the ,real world' setting, despite an increase in external outcomes reporting requirements. This paper examines nursing and other multidisciplinary interventions commonly used at the Youth Inpatient Unit, Christchurch, New Zealand, in relation to improvements in outcomes as measured by the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents, utilizing data gathered prospectively as part of an ongoing quality assurance and outcomes project. We found the majority of interventions investigated were utilized equally across diagnostic groups, although stress management and problem-solving education was used more for patients with mixed affective disorders. Further, the results contribute to growing evidence toward the value of providing medication and problem-solving education to this population. Mental health nurses working with children and adolescents should be supported to utilize and develop their unique skill set to offer targeted interventions and to examine their practice to identify the most valuable interventions for their patients within this developmental context. [source] Rural men and mental health: Their experiences and how they managedINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2007Don Gorman ABSTRACT:, There is a growing awareness that a primary source of information about mental health lies with the consumers. This paper reports on a study that interviewed rural men with the aim of exploring their mental health experiences within a rural environment. The results of the interviews are a number of stories of resilience and survival that highlight not only the importance of exploring the individuals' perspective of their issues, but also of acknowledging and drawing on their inner strengths. Rural men face a number of challenges that not only increase the risk of mental illness but also decrease the likelihood of them seeking and/or finding professional support. These men's stories, while different from each other, have a common thread of coping. Despite some support from family and friends, participants also acknowledged that seeking out professional support could have made the recovery phase easier. Mental health nurses need to be aware, not only of the barrier to professional support but also of the significant resilience that individuals have and how it can be used. [source] Mental health nurses: De facto policeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2007Jacklin E. Fisher ABSTRACT:, This paper examines the consequences for nursing staff and patients when police bring to hospital a person they assess to have a mental illness who exhibits violent or criminal behaviour. In particular, the impact on the nurse,patient relationship and the occupational health and safety of patients and staff is explored. Tensions between the conflicting roles for nurses of controlling the behaviour of this small minority of patients, while providing care and therapy, are examined within the context of health policy, bed shortages, and staffing problems. Recent Australian government and non-government reports are examined to assess the capacity of current health services in the State of New South Wales, to adequately and safely control behaviour while also provide therapeutic care for patients who are seeking help for their mental illness and emotional distress. [source] Borderline pathology in children and adolescentsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2004Charles Meekings ABSTRACT:,,Mental health nurses have historically been pessimistic about and often unsympathetic towards clients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. By the time these clients reach adult mental health services their behaviours are often difficult to manage and they often suffer significant re-victimization by health services. Questions need to be raised about how best to avert the consolidation of the problems associated with the disorder. This paper explores the concept of ,borderline pathology' in children and adolescents and examines the best available evidence for utilizing an early identification and intervention model for children and adolescents who exhibit this constellation of symptoms. [source] A phenomenological exploration of the lived experience of mental health nurses who care for clients with enduring mental health problems who are parentsJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 8 2010S. MADDOCKS mnurssci rn Accessible summary ,,Among people with mental health problems, those who are parents may not have their needs met, especially when receiving inpatient care. ,,There is little research regarding the needs of this group. ,,An integrated model of care is required. Abstract This paper is a report of a study to explore mental health nurses' lived experience of caring for adults with enduring mental health problems who are parents. With the advent of community care, more people with enduring mental health problems have contact with their families and are parents. Ultimately, rehabilitative strategies for parents with mental health problems are focused towards functioning effectively within their own family unit and hopefully enabling them to fulfil their parental role. Mental health nurses working with this client group have competing demands to reconcile. For example, advocating for client rights versus protecting the child and supporting the family. This phenomenological study took place within adult mental health services in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six nurses. A thematic analysis was conducted on the data. Five themes were identified from the data: support, remaining impartial, addressing the specific needs of a client who is a parent, models of care and interagency communication. The findings suggest that neither a family-centred nor a person-centred approach to care completely meets the needs of this client group. An integrated model of care is proposed that applies person-centred and family-centred approaches in tandem. [source] Nurse prescribing in mental health: national surveyJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2010D. DOBEL-OBER phd Accessible summary ,,Nurse prescribing has grown relatively slowly in mental health care since it was introduced in early 2000s. ,,This paper reports findings from a survey of directors of nursing in England. ,,It provides information about the current level of development of nurse prescribing and about intentions with regards to future implementation and development. Abstract Mental health nurses can now train to become independent prescribers as well as supplementary prescribers. Independent nurse prescribing can potentially help to reorganize mental health services, increase access to medicines and improve service user information, satisfaction and concordance. However, mental health nursing has been slow to undertake prescribing roles, and there has been little work conducted to look at where nurse prescribing is proving successful, and those areas where it is less so. This survey was designed to collect information from directors of nursing in mental health trusts about the numbers of mental health prescribers in England, gather views about prescribing in practice, and elicit intentions with regards to the development of nurse prescribing. In some Trusts, the number of mental health nurse prescribers has increased to the point where wider impacts on workforce, the configuration of teams and services are inevitable. Currently, the way that prescribing is used within different organizations, services and teams varies and it is unclear which setting is most appropriate for the different modes of prescribing. Future work should focus on the impact of mental health nurse prescribing on service delivery, as well as on service users, colleagues and nurses themselves. [source] Are stigma experiences among persons with mental illness, related to perceptions of self-esteem, empowerment and sense of coherence?JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2009B. LUNDBERG rn rnt Accessible summary ,,The findings from the present study revealed that people with mental illness are often exposed to social rejection from friends and the public. The most common experiences concerned is to be treated differently, or as less competent, after being a patient in mental health care. ,,The main finding of this study was that more rejection experiences were associated with lower level of sense of coherence and, to a lesser extent, with lower level of empowerment and self-esteem. ,,The weak association, between enacted stigma and self-esteem, as well as empowerment and sense of coherence, seems encouraging. However, further research and interventions may also pay attention to felt or anticipated stigma among mentally ill persons. Abstract The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between stigmatizing rejection experiences and self-related variables. Our hypothesis was that rejection experiences would be negatively associated with perceptions of self-esteem, empowerment and sense of coherence. A cross-sectional study assessing rejection experiences, empowerment, sense of coherence and self-esteem was performed, including 200 persons in current or earlier contact with mental health services. The results showed that experiences of rejection were negatively associated with sense of coherence, empowerment and self-esteem. This exploratory investigation suggests that experiences of rejection might be a target for coping interventions. Mental health nurses are in a key position to identify patients' experiences of stigma and by that to understand what consequences of devaluation/discrimination can have for the afflicted. [source] What can we do about acute extrapyramidal symptoms?JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2000R. Gray RN BSC (HONS) Antipsychotic drugs are the most effective treatment for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. However, they are known to cause a range of side-effects including acute extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) that are both distressing and disabling. Mental health nurses play a critical role in both the detection and the management of these symptoms. A review of the literature was conducted to identify strategies for managing acute EPS. Despite a widely held belief that EPS are associated with noncompliance with medication, the data to support this hypothesis are weak. Although akathisia may negatively affect the treatment outcome, there was little evidence to suggest that parkinsonism or dystonia do. Whilst the use of anticholinergic medication may be helpful in treating acute parkinsonism and dystonia they were associated with their own side-effects and the benefit of long-term prophylactic treatment is doubtful. The literature suggests that logical prescribing and rapid detection and management of acute EPS will result in a substantial reduction in the incidence of these disabling side-effects. [source] As mental health nursing roles expand, is education expanding mental health nurses? an emotionally intelligent view towards preparation for psychological therapies and relatednessNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 3 2008John Hurley As mental health nursing roles expand, is education expanding mental health nurses? an emotionally intelligent view towards preparation for psychological therapies and relatedness Mental health nurses (MHN) in the UK currently occupy a challenging position. This positioning is one that offers a view of expanding roles and responsibilities in both mental health act legislation and the delivery of psychological therapies, while simultaneously generic pre-registration training is being considered. Clearly, the view from this position, although not without challenge and internal discipline dispute, can also offer growing professional prestige, influence and respect from other health disciplines, as well as the wider public. Conversely, if the training, education and strategic enactment for new MHN roles is formulated and delivered from predominantly non-MHN axiomatic and epistemological stances, MHN identity can be seriously and potentially permanently diminished. This paper offers the construct of emotional intelligence as a framework to respond to these future challenges through making individual MHN enablement a primacy. This enablement of MHNs through enhanced emotional intelligence competencies is argued as requiring priority over the standard approach of enhancing strategies alone. [source] School Connectedness, Anger Behaviors, and Relationships of Violent and Nonviolent American YouthPERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE, Issue 4 2004FAAN, Sandra P. Thomas PhD PROBLEM. Youth violence research often focuses on risk factors arising from early familial interactions rather than school-related factors. METHODS. Via an Internet questionnaire, 282 girls and boys (ages 7,19, mean 15.3) from 47 states and Washington, DC, reported on school connectedness, interpersonal relationships, and anger behaviors. FINDINGS. Substantial percentages of violent youth did not perceive themselves to be liked by classmates and reported loneliness. If not liked by classmates, 80% hated school. Likers and haters of school differed on seven variables (all p,.01). CONCLUSIONS. Insufficient attention is paid to the alienation experienced by disliked and lonely students. Mental health nurses could play a pivotal role in fostering change in the social climate of schools and helping youth to achieve better anger management and social skills. [source] Guided self-help supported by paraprofessional mental health workers: an uncontrolled before,after cohort studyHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2009Paul Farrand Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology Abstract There has been considerable development of guided self-help clinics within primary care. This uncontrolled before,after cohort study examines efficiency and effectiveness of these clinics when supported by paraprofessional mental health workers having little mental health training and experience. Data were collected by seven Graduate Mental Health Workers (GMHW) located in South-west England. Alongside an analysis of clinic attendance and dropout, efficiency was measured with respect to the number and length of sessions to support patients with the effectiveness of the interventions examined with respect to problem severity. Over a 15-month period, 1162 patients were referred to the GMHW clinics with 658 adopting guided self-help. Patients using guided self-help received an average input per patient, excluding assessment, of four sessions of 40 minutes. Dropout rate was comparable to other primary-care-based mental health clinics supported by experienced mental health professionals with 458 patients completing all support sessions. However, only 233 patients went on to attend the 3 months of follow-up session. Effectiveness of guided self-help clinics supported by paraprofessional mental health workers was comparable to that supported by an experienced mental health nurse. Improvements in problem severity were statistically significant, with 55% and 58% (final support session) and 63% and 62% (3 months of follow-up) of patients experiencing clinically significant and reliable change for anxiety and depression, respectively. However, concerns exist over the efficiency of the GMHW clinic especially with respect to the use of longer support sessions and high dropout rate at the 3 months of follow-up session. The paper concludes by highlighting the effectiveness of guided self-help when supported by paraprofessional mental health workers, but questions the utility of the two-plus-one model of service delivery proposing a collaborative care approach as an alternative. [source] A qualitative study of mental health nurse identities: Many roles, one professionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2009John Hurley ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to clarify and build upon current understandings of mental health nurse (MHN) identity. The study adopted a framework of social constructionism and qualitative methodology. Semistructured interviews were conducted, which were thematically analyzed using Nvivo software. Twenty-five MHN were recruited across three geographical sites in the UK. Participants constructed a cluster of seven MHN identity characteristics that constituted a unique contribution to talk-based therapies. These themes of characteristics are: (i) the MHN as generic specialist; (ii) the MHN as adopting a service-user focus; (iii) the MHN as positioning and utilizing the personal self; (iv) the MHN as spending time with the service user; (v) the MHN as delivering talk-based therapies in versatile ways; (vi) the MHN as having an everyday attitude; and (vii) the MHN as having transferable skills. The distinctiveness, and thus, professional identity of mental health nursing, must be understood as a cluster of capabilities rather than a search for a singular point of difference. The breadth of capabilities employed by MHN highlights the value and worth of their contribution to service-user care. [source] Would the real mental health nurse please stand up?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2006The relationship between identification, professional identity No abstract is available for this article. [source] Models of mental health nurse,general practitioner liaison: promoting continuity of careJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2003Terence V. McCann BA MA PhD RMN RGN RNT mccann t.v. & baker h. (2003)Journal of Advanced Nursing 41(5), 471,479 Models of mental health nurse,general practitioner liaison: promoting continuity of care Aim and rationale.,Community mental health nurses and general practitioners share a pivotal role in the provision of mental health care in the community. The focus of this study was to identify models of general practitioner collaboration used by these nurses, and analyse the implications of these models for promoting continuity of care. The study was derived from a larger study of how community mental health nurses promote wellness with clients who are experiencing an early episode of psychotic illness. Methods.,This qualitative study used interviews and observation to collect data. The study took place in 1999 in regional and rural New South Wales, Australia and involved community mental health nurses. Findings.,The findings show that two models of nurse and general practitioner (GP) collaboration emerged from the data: Shared Care and Specialist Liaison. In the Shared Care model, nurses maintain close contact with GPs throughout the episode of acute care. In the Specialist Liaison model, the community mental health team assumes overall responsibility for care and treatment throughout the acute episode of illness. Contact with GPs throughout the episode of care by the community mental health team is, at best, intermittent. Conclusion.,The findings suggest that the Shared Care model is more consistent with supporting personal and organizational continuity of care, whereas the Specialist Liaison model is limited to encouraging personal continuity of care but further study is needed. [source] Community mental health nursing and early intervention in dementia: developing practice through a single case historyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2004John Keady PhD This paper reports on a single case history taken from the ,Dementia Action Research and Education' project, a 15-month primary care intervention study that was undertaken in North Wales in the early part of 2000. The study sought to address the meaning, context and diversity of early intervention in dementia care and employed a community mental health nurse and a psychiatric social worker to undertake early and psychosocial interventions with older people with dementia (aged 75 years and over) and their families. The workers tape-recorded, documented and analysed their interventions with 27 older people with dementia and their families over the 15-month duration of the study. Clinical supervision was also undertaken during the intervention phase. One case history is presented in this paper to illustrate the work of the community mental health nurse and to identify areas of practice development. Greater role transparency, collaborative working and improvement in educational preparation for practice are called for. [source] Nurse prescribing in mental health: national surveyJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2010D. DOBEL-OBER phd Accessible summary ,,Nurse prescribing has grown relatively slowly in mental health care since it was introduced in early 2000s. ,,This paper reports findings from a survey of directors of nursing in England. ,,It provides information about the current level of development of nurse prescribing and about intentions with regards to future implementation and development. Abstract Mental health nurses can now train to become independent prescribers as well as supplementary prescribers. Independent nurse prescribing can potentially help to reorganize mental health services, increase access to medicines and improve service user information, satisfaction and concordance. However, mental health nursing has been slow to undertake prescribing roles, and there has been little work conducted to look at where nurse prescribing is proving successful, and those areas where it is less so. This survey was designed to collect information from directors of nursing in mental health trusts about the numbers of mental health prescribers in England, gather views about prescribing in practice, and elicit intentions with regards to the development of nurse prescribing. In some Trusts, the number of mental health nurse prescribers has increased to the point where wider impacts on workforce, the configuration of teams and services are inevitable. Currently, the way that prescribing is used within different organizations, services and teams varies and it is unclear which setting is most appropriate for the different modes of prescribing. Future work should focus on the impact of mental health nurse prescribing on service delivery, as well as on service users, colleagues and nurses themselves. [source] Section 5(4) (The nurse's holding power): patterns of use in one mental health trust (1983,2006)JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2010R. ASHMORE bsc(hons) rmn ma pgce dip coun Accessible summary ,,Section 5(4) (Nurses' holding power) allows a mental health nurse to detain a patient admitted informally to hospital for treatment of a mental health problem for up to 6 h or until they are assessed by a doctor. ,,The use of the holding power has risen significantly since its introduction in 1983 to an average of 1442 per annum (range 789,1953 per annum). ,,The study identifies a number of factors in relation to the use of Section 5(4) including: gender, clinical setting, temporal patterns and medical response time. ,,Although the majority of patients are assessed by a doctor within 4 h of the holding power being applied, 8.3% are detained for 6 h or longer. There is a need to explore this and other issues further. Abstract The majority of studies exploring the use of Section 5(4) (Nurses' holding power) of the Mental Health Act 1983 are now dated, report on small numbers and have been undertaken over relatively short periods of time. A retrospective study was undertaken which sought to identify the factors associated with the use of the section in one mental health trust over a 24-year period (1983,2006). Section 5(4) was applied on 803 occasions, an average of 33.4 times per annum. The majority of sections were applied to female patients (58.4%) by male nurses (54.9%) within adult acute inpatient settings (93.4%). Significant differences were noted in the use of the section over the 24-h period but not for month of the year or day of the week. A total of 349 (43.5%) sections were implemented during doctors' ,office hours' (Monday,Friday, 9:00 h to 17:00 h). The mean length of time spent on the section was 140 min; 80.6% of patients were assessed by a doctor within 4 h; and 8.3% remained on the section for 6 h or more. The holding power was converted to another section of the Act on 642 (80%) occasions. A similar, multi-sited prospective study could be undertaken to validate the findings of this study. [source] Mental health student nurses' perception of the role of the mental health nurseJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2004D. M. RUNGAPADIACHY phd msc bsc (hons) rmn rgn cert ed Clear role definition is essential for directing the focus of nurse education and several studies have attempted to define the role of the mental health nurse (MHN). These, however, came to the conclusion that mental health nursing was difficult to articulate. The aim of this study was to understand how, during their transition to first level registration, mental health student nurses (MHSNs) perceived the role of the MHN. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 MHSNs during the last 6 months of their transition to MHN. Transcripts were analysed using a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. Six key themes were identified, five of which were defined mental health nursing roles. The sixth theme related to non-therapeutic intervention on the part of some MHNs. Several areas of concern were identified. First, MHSNs expected to conduct more psychologically based interventions than were achievable in practice. Second, emphasis on drug administration can lead to a conflict of interest in the nurses' advocacy role with patients. Third, MHSNs sometimes observed poor role models in their placements, which could have a negative impact on the way in which future MHNs view the role of the MHN. [source] Long-term illness and patterns of medicine taking: are people with schizophrenia a unique group?JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2001G. R. Marland rmn dipn bed (hons) mn pgcrm rnt Patients with schizophrenia relapse because of inadequate levels of medicine taking. Therefore, it seems logical to learn about the factors underpinning their medicine-taking decisions. Further research is urgently needed to explore this area and thereby to refine models of practice, to promote therapeutic interactions with medicine. Existing research tends to share three common deficits. ,It is grounded in the worldview of the psychiatrist not the patient. ,It studies the influence of symptoms on compliance behaviour in isolation from other potential variables. ,It overlooks the potential influence of the chronicity experience in general by examining schizophrenia outwith the context of other enduring illnesses. Overall these deficits may combine to distort the influence of schizophrenic symptoms on medicine decision making and justify a coercive rather than an empowering approach. A pernicious self-fulfilling spiral may be contributing to the problem of relapse in schizophrenia. Potentially the mental health nurse has a role in addressing this problem. [source] Promoting mental health care in a rural paediatric unit through participatory action researchAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2009Brenda Happell Abstract Objective:,To explore, advance and evaluate mental health practices in a rural general paediatric unit through participatory action research. Design:,A participatory action research approach guided this study, providing an opportunity for nursing staff to become actively involved in the design, direction and outcomes of the research. Setting:,A 16-bed paediatric unit of a rural general hospital. Participants:,A purposive convenience sample of all paediatric nursing staff (n = 20; of 24 nurses). Outcome measures:,In the first phase of this study, focus groups were conducted to explore the experiences of nurses. Results:,Participants considered mental health to be a specialist discipline area and the role of the mental health nurse to be complex. They felt that their lack of training and experience with mental health issues was detrimental to the delivery of optimal patient care. There was concern about differing approaches to treatment, relationships with other mental health services and the suitability of the ward environment for young people with a mental health problem. Participants called for training by qualified mental health staff and the development of policies and clinical guidelines to facilitate their delivery of care to patients with a mental health problem in an acute medical environment. Conclusions:,There is a clear need for nursing specialities to work together to ensure that optimal care is given to patients admitted to general hospital with a mental health issue. Given the absence of accessible specialist child mental health inpatient units in regional and remote areas, upskilling paediatric nurses must be a priority. [source] The meaning of guilt and shame: A qualitative study of mothers who suffer from eating difficultiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2010Kristine Rørtveit ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to illuminate and interpret guilt and shame expressed by mothers with eating difficulties (ED). The research question was: What is the meaning of guilt and shame experienced by mothers with ED? Experiences of guilt and shame in mothers with ED may be strong, yet concealed, and should be addressed when promoting women's mental health. The study design was explorative, and in-depth interviews were conducted with eight mothers suffering from ED. The data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis and interpreted according to a hermeneutic approach. The main theme ,Struggling in silence with guilt and shame as a mother living with ED and trying to keep it secret' was interpreted on two levels: emotional, ,Feeling worried about failure and wanting to be successful', and cognitive, ,Having condemning thoughts about one's own sense of responsibility'. In addition, each theme contained two subthemes. Feelings and awareness of guilt and shame are strong; they vary between individuals and are intensified in mothers who suffer from ED. It is important for mental health nurses to help mothers with ED articulate such feelings in order to promote health. [source] Duly Authorized Officers' practices under mental health law in New Zealand: Are nurses meeting the requirements of the law?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2009Brian McKenna ABSTRACT The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act (1992) introduced a number of statutory roles that are undertaken by mental health nurses. One of these roles is that of Duly Authorized Officer (DAO). The DAO is responsible for the procedural requirements necessary to facilitate compulsory assessment. Under Section 9(2)(d), the DAO is required to ensure that the purpose of the assessment and the requirements of the notice of assessment are explained to the person in the presence of a member of their family, a caregiver, or other person concerned with the welfare of the person. Three recent High Court decisions under the Habeas Corpus Act 2001 have challenged existing DAO practices in arranging the presence of a third party. This paper presents research, which focuses on unravelling some of the complexities associated with meeting this procedural requirement. It illustrates these complexities through a discussion of the results of an audit of files and three focus groups with mental health nurses who practise as DAO. The paper concludes that national guidelines for practice need to be developed for DAO to assist mental health nurses in meeting this statutory requirement. [source] | ||||||||||