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Caring for those with mental illness
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Clinical Reflection Paper My experience in mental health clinical was very different from any other clinical I had before. In a mental health clinical setting, I am not only treating client’s mental illnesses, I am also treating their medical problems such as COPD, diabetes, chronic renal failure, etc. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the unexpected events. In this mental health clinical, I learned that the importance of checking on my clients and making sure that they are doing fine by performing a quick head-to toes assessment at the beginning of my shift. I had also learned that client’s mental health illness had a huge impact on their current medical illness. Before my shift started, I did my research about my new client for week three clinical. I thought I was well prepared for the clinical, I knew the client’s mental and medical conditions but I was more focused on the client’s mental health issues and not the medical illnesses. When the nurse informed me that client W was experiencing shortness of breath due to his COPD, I was a bit shock because I was not expecting that to happen. Brief Introduction To The Clinical Situation On my first day of week three clinical at 0830, client W and I were on our way to the dinning room and client B asked me to put his jacket on, so I told client W that I would meet him in the dinning room. After I helped Client B, I was on my way to the dinning room and nurse A told me that client W was experiencing difficulty breathing and we needed to give him his 0900 inhalers earlier. He was having audible wheezing and rapid respiratory rate. Therefore, we had to give client W his inhalers, SalbutaMOL Sulfate, which is a bronchodilator to allow the alveoli in the lung to open so th... ... middle of paper ... ...actually needs help. However, I have to respect his decision, in order to provide client-centred care. “Respect for life means that human life is precious and needs to be respected, protected and treated with consideration” (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2009c, p. 8). Sometimes offering medication may not necessary be the first and best solution for the situation. We as a registered nurse, have the responsibility to offer the client health teaching such as pain control instead of giving him medication right away. This prevents the client developing a certain medication addiction and helps to establish a therapeutic nurse-client relationship by providing supports and cares without the use of medication. Therefore, this experience from mental health clinical practicum had helped me to improve nursing practice of delivering high quality health care to my clients.
I cared for a 76-year-old end-staged chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder patient who was admitted for respiratory distress. The doctor requested that my nurse and I get the family together for a family meeting. During the meeting, the doctor communicated to the patient and his family members that the patient will be palliative and no longer be in the ICU. The family members were concerned about the transfer of care to the medicine unit, what to expect from palliative care and other options for care. This scenario did not go well because the patient and family would have benefited from a palliative nurse with expertise, respiratory therapist to discuss other options, pharmacist about medication change if needed, social worker to help guide the family through end of life care for their father. In addition, there was no collaboration with interprofessionals prior to the family
I have developed a newfound confidence in myself that kills and professional competency. My interactions with patients and assertiveness in myself and to carry out a professional discussion and interventions. enhanced not only his communicative skills but as well as immediate reporting, analytical skills and extensive knowledge of the internal and external workplace. Further, becoming involved with committees helped him understand policy and the external situation, as well as government, councils, and regulation, and the way in which to administer the protocols around the plant and people. I have developed a successful rapport with patients, staff and external personnel. I once carried this apprehension and nervousness in patient interactions,
A patient and client are one in the same in the present nursing profession. A client is first and foremost more than a name on a chart or a number in the system. They are a person with thoughts, words, deeds, and a need for care. To truly embody what a client is one needs to combine definitions. A client is a person seeking professional and protective medical care with a need for concern, understanding, and top quality of care. Health and illness are two sides of a coin. Some may view health as the absence of illness and alternatively, illness as the lack of good health. However, each goes beyond being the simple opposite of the other. Health is not just the absence of illness but the embodiment of well-being, comfort, and wellness of body, mind and spirit. Illness can be as simple as a cold, a bodily injury, and on to a disease of the mind. Both health and illness can be simply defined but to truly understand what it is to be healthy and to be ill one must look beyond the simple and see all the aspects of each.
The nurse I was assigned to seemed a little intimidating in terms of her strictness when dealing with a student. This made me strive to avoid mistakes by documenting on time, and restoring the confidence of the patient to my ability. My key issue is that sometimes, the nurse would go with me to the patient and this heightened my anxiety. This led to jeopardizing the client’s safety, in this event; I forgot to lower the patient’s bed back to the appropriate height.
Giving verbal instructions, guidance and reassurance to mental health patients is essential for nurses. Teaching patients how to cope with their mental disorders helps them feel more empowered and in control, in a situation where they have very little control over their
Mental illness is any disease or condition that reconstruct the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, relates to others and to his or her surroundings. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can be presented in different forms, such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Anxiety disorder, Depression, and Obsessive compulsive disorder. (NHS Choices, 2013) When mental illness is not being treated appropriately, the individual often find coping with life’s daily routine and demand difficult. There are various models being used in the treatment of mental illness, such as Medical model, Social model, Psychological model and Family models. (Mental HealthCare, 2013)
My first patient that I started as student nurse on one of the long Rehab Center was a seventy two year old man who had Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Dementia, Hip replacement, and Obesity. Due to the above sickness he had many complications. I can still remember his face suffering from pain. Because of his lack of ambulation and incontinence, he had developed a very serious pressure ulcer under his sacral area. I went through to the room with my instructor and the instructor introduces me for the patient as his student nurse from Towson University and will taking care of him. However the patient was not happy and he becomes a challenging patient in my first experience day. But I may learned more from that challenging patient for my future experience.
Therapy Analysis The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of my work as a co-therapist during the fifth session with the simulated couple Katy and Michelle. I will discuss our therapy agenda and the goals we hope to attain during the session. It is prudent to begin by giving a brief outline of the couple’s present problem and the patterns of dysfunction that I have identified within their relationship. In my opinion, it is the therapist’s job to recognize patterns and behaviors that disrupt the intimate bond between the partners.
The mental health assessment is a crucial part in everyday nursing care as it evaluates an individual’s mental condition to assess for risk factors of mental illnesses and provide optimal care and treatment. Mental health is described as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (CDC) If the patient not mentally healthy, they can develop mentally illnesses, which can affect treatment and the disease process of physical ailments because without mental health a person cannot be completely healthy. “Suicide Risk Assessment in High Risk Adolescents” is a nursing article that outlines suicide risk factors and prevention strategies for assist nurses in performing mental health assessments. Suicide, the act of
Simpson, C. (2007) ‘Mental Health part3: Assessment and Treatment of Depression’ British Journal of Healthcare assistants. pp 167-171.
For my first clinical observation, I was assigned to the trauma unit and it was not what I expected it to be. I thought the trauma unit would be fast pace and there would be nurses and doctors rushing everywhere, however, I did not see any of that. Instead, it was quite peaceful and this was probably because my clinical observation was from 10-12 p.m. When I met up with my senior nurse, she showed me a binder that contained all of her patients’ diagnoses, lab reports, treatments, and vital signs, which was a lot to take in because most of the terms she used, I had no idea what they were. After looking at the reports, she showed me a patient who had gunshot wounds on his back and abdomen. I could tell he was in a lot of pain by the tone of
My personal view on mental illness, is an illness that needs care, compassionate, affection, empathy, sympathy and to acknowledge that mental illness exists. As a Psychologist I will bring to the field a wide range of skills such as being very open-minded, diverse, and culturally competent, accept and respect all religious beliefs, non-bias, non-judgmental and able to speak five different languages. I have chosen Mental Health Psychology because I want to make a positive difference and impact on the lives of the children and youth I work with. I support the biopsychosocial model and holistic approach when treating an individual with mental illness. Individuals should be treated as a ‘whole person and not pieces of the puzzle’ if we want to help them get better or be in control of their lives. The treatment becomes effective when addressing the biological, psychological and sociological aspects of the client are
During my four-week clinical rotation at Winona Health, I had the opportunity to work with a patient the day following a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in acute care. I was given the opportunity to work with her for the next 3 weeks, status post-surgery in the outpatient setting. This opportunity allowed me to not only perform a subjective in multiple settings, but it also gave me the opportunity to gain rapport with the patient. It was rewarding to be able to witness the patient’s progress and gain hands on experience treating a TKA in both healthcare settings. This patient interaction was one of the first opportunities I had to create a plan of care, with little help from my clinical instructor, which fit the beliefs and values of the patient.
Mental illness refers to a broad range of mental health conditions. Mental illnesses have many consequences such as struggling with day to day life, work, relationships, and more. The disease can make people miserable resulting in poor decision making, inappropriate coping mechanisms, and in worse cases death. Mental health problems are challenging and can go undetected for a long period of time. Suicide, self esteem, mental health, school, and treatment are all factors that are difficult with one who is suffering with a mental illness. There are many consequences for those suffering from mental illness if they are untreated, but it is possible to overcome mental illness with correct diagnosis, appropriate medication, supplemented with alternative therapies.
Through this experience, I have become a better nurse. I am more aware of key strategies that I can use with my patients who are unable to clearly verbalize their needs, and I have a broader understanding and increased appreciation for communication. This is something many take for granted every day, and it is such an important factor in fulfilling our needs. Without communication, nurses are unable to provide care to patients because the nurses do not know what the patient’s needs are. Therefore, as nurses, it is extremely important and our responsibility to efficiently communicate with all of our patients each and every day.