Mental Health Nursing Flashcards
Mental health definition
MH is the ability to cope with and bounce back from adversity, to solve problems in everyday life, manage when things are difficult and cope with everyday stressors
Mental illness definition
Mental illness is a clinically diagnosable condition that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional and/or social abilities
What are essential qualities of a MHN?
Caring, honesty, understanding of the nature and boundaries of professional and therapeutic relationships, responsiveness, self-awareness, open minded, reflective, develop esoteric concepts such as hope and optimism, recovery approach
What are essential skills of a MHN?
- Practice TIC
- Recovery approach (working with patients)
- Build a therapeutic relationship
- Advocate for mentally ill people to access services (housing, education + employment)
- Empowers mentally ill people
- Promotes resilience for patients throughout the process
- Mental health promotion
- Understand how stigma may act as a barrier for many patients and support their voice through enhancing their resilience
- Professional knowledge, clinical and interpersonal skills and experiences
- Good understanding of physiology, psychology, psychiatry and pharmacology
- Assessment skills: Comprehensive psychiatric assessment including MSE, risk and substance use assessments, ongoing monitoring of the patients mental state, wellbeing and treatment needs
What are the key elements of recovery-oriented practice?
- Working WITH the patient, instead of doing things TO the patient
- Focusing on capabilities and strengths
- Promote hope and optimism
- Promote the patient to make choices about recovery
What is the key role of MHNs?
Convey caring attitudes
Be honest
Maintain a therapeutic relationship with the pt and their carers
Empower pts to make and sustain healthy choices to remain well
What impact does stigma have on mental health patients?
- Less willing to seek help due to negative past experiences
- Less likely to be listened to or not treated as people may believe they are seeking attention or just “crazy”
- Less employment opportunities therefore less money
