The Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse

Paper Summary:

This paper addresses the roles and responsibilities of the psychiatric and mental health (PMH) nurse. It discusses the necessity of a team approach within this nursing field and describes the consumer and carer perspective. The paper also looks at the PMH nurse and society's general attitudes to mental illness and how this may affect the PMH nurse's role and responsibilities.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Qualities, Roles, and Responsibilities of the PMH Nurse
PMH Nurse and Society's Attitudes to Mental Illness
Need for Team Approach
Significance of the Consumer/Carer Perspective
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The significance of the consumer/carer perspective is most especially observed in cases of stigma when the person has been stigmatized by the health care system. In these cases, there are invariably abuses of human rights. Such abuses lead to inadequate care, as well as intolerable stress, exacerbation of physical illness, and in some cases mortality (Crisp, 2004). As a consequence, the psychosocial needs for such individuals are not understood or addressed. Many users of mental health services are beginning to reject traditional psychiatric ideas of mental illness and instead have chosen the concept of mental distress (Rogers & Pilgrim, 2005). The PMH nurse while acting as advocate may wish to point out to these consumers that the concept of mental distress is not adequate since it does not portray the experience or suffering involved in mental illness. The PMH nurse, when working with advocacy or consumer groups, makes use of a collaborative approach and must demonstrate expertise with the use of collaborative strategies (CNA, 2002). The nurse also participates in learning and teaching opportunities with consumer groups."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) (2002). Canadian standards of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Toronto: CNA.
• Crisp, J. (2004). Mental health nursing practice 1. Bathurst, Australia: Charles Sturt University Learning Materials Centre.
• Deegan, P. (1993). Recovering our sense of value after being labeled. Psychosocial Nursing, 31 (4), 7-11.
• Feeney Mahoney, D. & Cloutterbuck, J. (2005). African, American, Chinese, and Latino family caregivers' impressions of the onset and diagnosis of dementia. The Gerontologist, 45 (6), 783-793.
• Kenny, J. (2001). Cloaked in secrecy and shame. Canadian Nurse, 97 (1), 20-24.

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