The Role of Psychiatric Nurse

Clear role definition is essential to the development of the psychiatric nurse. The expanded role of the psychiatric nurse is clearly identified in the literature for many areas of care such for the forensic psychiatric nurse in Lyons (2009), the nurse practitioner in O’Neil, Moore, and Ryan (2008); Kaye et al. (2009) , and for the mental health liaison nurse in Merritt and Procter ( 2010). However, a clear role definition for the generalist nurse is not easily found (Rungapadiachy & Gough, 2004). According to these authors, a definition of the generalist role and its associated behaviors are not easily articulated. Hildegard Peplau, the only psychiatric nursing theorist (McKenna & Slevin, 2008) identifies nursing roles that are specific to developing a nurse client relationship (Johnson, 2006). Peplau’s interpersonal theory is widely used as a theory base for the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist role (Mckenna & Slevin, 2008). However, with widespread use of the medical model in psychiatric care today, generalist nurses are spending less time interacting with patients (Fourie, McDonald, Connor, & Bartlett, (2005). Therefore, there is a gap in the roles as identified by the only psychiatric nursing theorist and what occurs in practice. Current psychiatric role theory development, a rationale for further theory development, and ways in which further theory development may advance nursing practice is discussed in this paper.

Current Theory Development

As the first nursing theorist, Hildegard Peplau identified seven therapeutic roles for nurses to use in developing a therapeutic relationship. As described in Johnson (2006), the roles include stranger, resource person, teacher, leader, surrogate, and counselor...

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...ctional role of mental health consultation-liaison nurse in multi-morbidity, using Peplau’s nursing theory. Journal of Australian Nursing Profession, 34(2), 158-166. doi: 105172/conn.2010.34.2.158

O’Neil, M., Moore, K., & Ryan, A. (2008). Exploring the role and perspectives of mental health nurse practitioners following psychosocial intervention training. Journal of Psychosocial and Mental Health Nursing, 15(7), 582-587.

Patterson, C., Curtis, J., & Reid, A. (2008). Skills, knowledge, attitudes expected of newly-graduated mental health nurses in an in-patient setting. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17(), 410-418. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00572.x

Rungapadiachy, D. M., & Gough, B. (2004). Mental health student nurse’ perception of the role of the mental health nurse. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Services, 11(), 714-724.