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Mental health nursing - a day in the life

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Author Mental health nursing - a day in the life

ajv1975

  • Joined: May 2010
  • Location:
  • Posts: 1

Tue May 18, 2010 12:05 pm

Hi all, I am hoping you can help me! I am a student nurse (Year 1, semester 1). Last year I studied Psychology and loved it, but did not want to study for 6 years to be registered. I decided to try nursing and take the mental health route instead. Now, along the way through my first semester I have been doing alot of research on what exactly the role of a MH nurse is. So far I have spoken to: * An ex RN (who is now a Psychologist) - who advised me that MH nurses don't really counsel patients at all, mainly give medication and ask the patient questions to obtain data for the doctor. * An ex MH nurse - who advised me that MH nurses actually run (and compile the program of) group therapies (specific experience of this in an eating disorder clinic). * A current MH nurse (in the community setting) - who advised me that in MH nursing, medication is the first line of defence instead of delving into the psyche ie: addresses the symptom with medication, not the cause with therapy. Also does not deal with eating disorders in this setting, presumably as medication is generally not given for these types of disorders. Of course I am really confused. I want to help people by working with them, giving them advice, running group therapies, not just give medication and ask questions to gather data. I am trying to decide on whether to transfer into Psychology. Can a MH nurse out there tell me what their day involves? Do you have the freedom to write and run programs for people? Or is it heavily focused on giving medication and building a relationship for the purpose of data collection? All the information I can find online says things like "mental health nurses support the patient", but I need to know if this is an active or passive role. Thanks so much!

noeline999

  • Joined: Mar 2010
  • Location:
  • Posts: 6

Jun 24, 2010, 06:54 pm

Hi

I am an EEN who works in acute mental health. Unfortunately I agree with the person who told you we don't get to counsel patients. That is quite true.. mainly because we don't have the time. From my experience, medication is the main therapy (or ECT if medication fails)and yes, to report to doctors what we see and hear. I continually find myself frustrated along with some of my colleagues as I want to empower and help people. If that is what you want to do, then don't become a MH nurse. In some private hospitals there are group therapies which can be quite successful and rewarding but also this can be short lived.

I did however, recently work interstate and was impressed as that hospital offered CBT by a mental health nurse that completed a CBT course through uni.

I wish you luck in whatever you decide.

Lynn Thomas

  • Joined: Jan 2011
  • Location: Stanmore, NSW
  • Posts: 2

Jan 11, 2011, 02:35 pm

Greetings,

it depends in which area you work. If you work on a crisis team the focus is on rapid symptom control to control behaviour that is problematic and that is usually via medication, though some counselling is utilised depending on the nurse (some nurses are not interested in advanced practice and only want to do the medication routine, they usually are less proactive and dont want to take responsibility so refer 'everything' back to a doctor - who may not want that level of info). You can work as a case manager in community mental health and have a variety of clientele some of whom will require counselling and psychotherapy. some clients dont want a bar of services and will only come for medication (but here your expertise in engaging them can lead to some therapeutic practice and 'healing' for the client ie not necessarily their illness but their expereinces with services which is preventing them from moving on in their recovery). AS far as CBT is concerned its a 3- 4 day course via various organisations. It doesnt take long to learn but practice is the essential requirement, though there are other practice modalities that are as useful (it really does depend on the client). You can work on a Rehab Team (MATTeam or similar) where you will have a chance to write programs for individual clients or groups.

MHNursing is a great job with many opportunities to branch out and practice - there are various beliefs about nursing scope of practice that are negative to our professional development and independence - as nurses we practice nursing not medicine, psychology, social work or occupational health but we utilise all those disciplines in our synergistic care of the client (not just the illness), vested interest and competing financial interests from other disciplines tries to limit what we do to just giving/overseeing medication (therefore 'doctors handmaidens') and many nurses accept these limitations but we cripple ourselves professionally by doing so. Benners skill development remains relevant for nurses as it gives us a framework to understand our own evolution as practitioners from novices to expert (not necessarily associated with academic achievement either but definitaly an aspect of professional development).

In other words - you will decide the type of nurse you want to become ... initially you may need to do the 'scut' work but as you become more competent and experienced you will develop your own style and begin to branch out. In Australia we dont have many nurses in private practice and I believe that is what we need to start doing, with or without a medicare provider number! Please ... stay in nursing and retain that interest in nursing therapeutic practice. <g> good luck either way .....

MarieAnderson

  • Joined: Apr 2011
  • Location: USA
  • Posts: 39

May 18, 2011, 11:44 pm Last edited May 18, 2011, 11:44 pm update #1

To become a fully qualified mental health nurse, individuals must undergo specialist postgraduate training to learn the intricacies involved in the practise of this type of health care. Much of the focus revolves around their particular client's state of mind. These nurses are constantly working to monitor their client's mental illness by carefully observing the degree of severity in which the patient is experiencing. This information can then be relayed to the supervising physician, and attending doctors to ensure that the correct medication is administered in the particular dosage required. The overall goal for this health care is to provide their client with peace of mind while working towards building that client's balanced state of emotional and cognitive health.

www.makemoneyasatravelingnurse.com

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