Psychiatric Nursing - An Overview

Introduction:

Psychiatric nurses are trained professionals who help people suffering from mental health problems. They support the mental and physical well-being of the people. They represent the largest group of behavioral healthcare professionals by providing comprehensive care to groups, communities, and individuals. They transform the lives of people in a positive way. Psychiatric mental health registered nurses require psychosocial and neurological expertise, and they practice in consonance with high-quality license and credential standards.

Who Is a Psychiatric Nurse and What They Do?

They are registered nurses who can work in the healthcare sector. They should pass the registered nurse licensing exam after graduation. According to the American psychological association, they also complete pharmacology and social and behavioral sciences training. They do a minimum of 2000 hours of clinical practice in psychiatric health nursing and 30 hours of continuing education in mental health during the exam. They assist psychologists and psychiatrists. They do not perform more complex or advanced cases, such as making diagnoses and surgeries. They work with licensed mental healthcare workers. The following are the services provided by a psychiatric nurse:

• They advocate for those with psychiatric disorders, mental health problems, and substance use disorders.

• Psychiatric nurses work with adults, teens, and children. They are trained to treat depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and schizophrenia.

Where Do the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Work?

They work in clinics, private practices, hospitals, substance abuse hospitals, and community health centers. Prisons include the court system, telemedicine, public health facilities, and forensic health facilities. The team involves a psychiatrist, PMH (psychiatric mental health) nurses, psychologists, and a social worker. Each varies in qualification but has some overlapping responsibilities. The PMH nurses represent the second largest behavioral healthcare professionals. They partner with individuals and promote health. They do case management, screening, evaluation, and psychiatric rehabilitation.

How Do Psychiatric Nurses Promote Mental Health?

The nurse's task depends upon the tasks, and training they have had. The duties include administering medicines, observing patients, and helping with self-care and general physical health. The responsibilities of PMH nurses include:

• Educating the families and the patients.

• They help patients achieve individual goals.

• Administration and monitoring of treatment regimens.

• Practice crisis intervention and management.

• Community education.

They provide crisis management services to those who are:

• Exposed to disaster or trauma.

• For soldiers coming home after combat.

• Supporting teenagers with mental health issues.

• Creating interventions for those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

• Helping adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

What Are the Qualities of a Successful Psychiatric Nurse?

Completing the job requires sensitivity, passion, and exceptional communication skills. They need to see the human being in every individual. Those who are passionate about behavioral science will thrive in this career.

• Compassion and Empathy - They have interpersonal skills to build rapport with patients and their families. They listen and try to understand clients to build rapport with them.

• Consistency and Reliability - Steady quality of work and professionalism makes the patients rely on them.

• Passion for Health Services - Passion drives success. No one should choose this for a paycheck. The individual should have a passion for lending hands to help others. The drive to learn about brain and mental health is essential to create an impact.

• Working Over Hours - They need to work around patients' lives, like working during unsociable hours and traveling at odd hours.

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses?

The responsibilities of psychiatric mental health include the following:

• Administration of medications to patients for acute and chronic illnesses. Monitoring the results and treatments.

• Organization of group therapy sessions that includes artistic and social events. They aim to promote patients’ medical recovery.

• Interaction with patients and their family members.

• Healthcare administrations like maintaining patients’ records and risk management.

• Provision of psychotherapy treatment.

• They should ask appropriate questions to the patients to diagnose disorders.

• They help people regain their coping abilities.

• Conducting psychoeducation programs.

• Offering interpersonal support.

• Participating in recreational activities with clients.

• Conducting group therapy sessions.

• Educating families and interpersonal support members regarding mental health issues.

• They order and interpret lab tests and diagnostic studies.

• They make referrals to other healthcare professionals.

• Providing screening and immunizations.

• Manage chronic conditions through constant monitoring.

What Are the Conditions That Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses Can Treat?

They cannot specifically treat any condition. They work with other healthcare professionals, such as psychotherapists, and social workers, to implement the care. They are mostly involved in care who have a mental health condition. They help adults with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and schizophrenia. They write prescriptions, design treatment plans, and provide psychotherapy counseling. Dementia is associated with depression and anxiety. Some of the common illnesses that psychiatric mental nurses counsel are depression, social withdrawal, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and learning disabilities. A person can seek help for the following problems:

• Mood changes that are rapid or dramatic.

• Appetite changes.

• Loss of desire to engage in activities.

• Trouble thinking.

• Loss of interest in hobbies or activities.

• Intense anxiety and nervousness.

• Irrational thinking.

• Odd behavior.

What Are the Pros and Cons of This Profession?

It is not so easy to ace this career. It requires long working hours, and they need to handle the stress of the job. It has its unique challenges and rewards. Higher pay and work satisfaction, potential growth, and a larger domain are the pros of this work. High patience level, endurance, and never-ending attentiveness are some challenges nurses face. Since then, there has been a shortage of professionals, and there is always demand for these services and expertise. The job growth is expected to be seven percent in the upcoming years. There is a string earring potential.

Conclusion:

Mental health disorders affect people at any age. And this profession is most important because motivational, emotional, and cognitive effects reduce a person’s quality of life and ability to work. PMH nurses deal with people with a greater dependence on the loss of self-esteem and confidence, reduced communication ability, and impairment in social functioning. The future holds good promise for mental health nurses because they have the potential to create a positive impact on the future generation and improve health and well-being.