Mental Health Nursing Care

For Fundamentals of Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Psychosocial Nursing and Nursing Specialty courses. This practical guide to applying the nursing process to the care of clients with psychiatric disorders and general clients with psychosocial issues teaches psychiatric-mental health nursing as it is really practiced. Students are encouraged to develop empathy for clients and critical thinking skills to meet the challenges of client care. Case studies, client examples and statements from clients in their own words help students understand psychiatric and psychosocial nursing practice.

Mental Health Nursing Carewas written to provide a broad fundamental knowledge base for LPN/LVN students that is interesting and engaging to read, and readily applicable to nursing practice. Our teaching philosophy is that learning is maximized when the teacher is enthusiastic about the subject; the material is presented in a clear and appealing style; and the concepts are relevant to real application. The learner must be willing to participate in the learning process. Learning is participative. This book is written as psychosocial nursing is really practiced: with intelligence, empathy, caring, and based on evidence. It is above all practical, with strategies that students can actually use to promote the health, well-being, and empowerment of their clients. The major curriculum concepts are: Mental health The biopsychosocial nature of mental disorders Insight development and mental health promotion for nursing students The nursing process (a part of which is critical thinking) Care of diverse clients (across ages, genders, and cultures) Client and nurse empowerment Collaborative care with other members of the health-care team Psychosocial nursing as a component of general nursing practice, as well as in the psychiatric setting The writing style is deliberately personal for the purpose of making this complicated and fascinating subject engaging and easy to understand. It is clear without oversimplification or disrespect to the subject or the student. The style, organization, and pedagogy are chosen with adult learning principles in mind. We wrote this book with the knowledge that the majority of nurses do not practice in the psychiatric nursing specialty. Promoting mental health and working with clients with mental disorders and psychosocial issues are part of the nursing role in every practice setting. We teach students to practice psychosocial nursing with diverse clients in a variety of settings. We bring in case studies and quotes from clients in their own words to help students who do not have psychiatric nursing clinical opportunities to develop empathy for our clients. The authors bring their enthusiasm and experience in teaching psychiatric mental health nursing to this book. We teach the theory and practice of psychiatric nursing to diverse nursing students. The needs of students who speak English as a nonnative language, immigrant students, and other nontraditional students were considered in the writing of this book. Advocacy for people who have mental disorders and their families is an important aspect of the book as well. We are committed to psychiatric nursing education, and to helping you teach your students. Organization UNIT 1:Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursingprovides a basis for understanding the fundamentals on which psychiatric nursing is built. Personality development is discussed as a psychosocial basis for mental disorders. Various personality theories are presented as the basis for the various therapeutic approaches to disorders of thinking, feeling, and behavior. Mental health and mental illness are covered, as well as the stigma of mental illness in our culture. Practical strategies for mental-health promotion are included. Stress management is presented as it relates to clients and nurses. UNIT 2:Psychiatric Mental Health Nursingencourages the mentally healthy practice of nursing. The nurse-client relationship is presented as the foundation of nursing practice. Ethical and legal aspects of psychiatric nursing are covered in this unit. The importance of client advocacy is emphasized. The biological basis for mental disorders is discussed. Psychopharmacology is given its rightful place as a major cornerstone of psychiatric nursing, but not the only cornerstone. UNIT 3:Nursing Care of Clients with Ment