Nursing People with Mental Disorders - Coursework Example

Mental Health Mental health refers to the cognitive and emotional comfort that a human being enjoys throughout his life. When a person is mentally fit and free of any mental disorders, he can create a good balance between the activities of life and psychological flexibility. There cannot be a definition to mental health, as it varies depending on cultural differences, subjective evaluation and even challenging professional theories. However, every estimated definition highlights the emotional stability, the strength of dealing with the challenges of life and to live a happy life with full potential. Unfortunately, not every has been blessed with sanity. That is, there are millions of people living whose defected minds cannot cope up with the fast-paced world of today. When a person is not mentally fit, he is said to have a mental disorder. This is a psychological or behavioral defect that causes a disability that hinders normal human development. A mental disorder causes one to be labeled as ‘abnormal’, causing severe distress to the patient. There are many different categories of mental disorders - anxiety disorders, mood disorders, dissociative disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, development disorders, sleeping disorders and even eating disorders (Radcliffe, 2000). There is no one cause for every disorder; it is usually explained by a biopsychosocial model, which is the interaction of biological, psychological and social causes (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007). Mental disorders may not be cured entirely, but there is extensive treatment available. Psychotherapy is one of the basic methods along with medication. A psychologist cannot prescribe medication to the mental patient; a psychiatrist suggests medicines based on the diagnosis. Diagnosis is based on the patient’s history taken by the doctor as there is no other way for him to determine how the patient is feeling. There are many subgroups of the types of medicines available for mental patients – anti depressants (for producing happy hormones and lifting up a person’s mood), anxiolytics (for reducing anxiety and calming a person down; also prescribed for insomnia), mood stabilizers (using for bipolar disorders – extreme mood conditions), antipsychotics (for problems such as schizophrenia), and lastly stimulants (for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). These medicines are required for a mental patient to remain sane at times; however, there are adverse affects caused by adherence and excessive intake. Psychotherapy is a method which takes a more interpersonal and relational approach to help mental patients. Psychotherapists intervene by trying to talk to the patients; they have a more experimental relationship based on methods such as dialogue and communication. By expressing how the patient feels, he develops a sense of wellbeing and comfort; he feels that there is somebody who would want to listen to what he has to say and will also comprehend his issues (Davies, 1997). The cruelest method of call is the electroconvulsive therapy. This is the usage of electric shock as a method to cure severe cases. Another is psychosurgery but that is the job of a neurosurgeon as that deals with operating on the human brain. It is important to provide mental patients with psychoeducation as it helps not only abnormal people, but mentally fit people in managing their problems in life. It is important for everyone to know the symptoms of mental disorders so that they can consult a psychiatrist or psychologist if in doubt. New therapies have been introduced such as music, drama and art; music therapy is the most successful out of these three. However, the most awful fact is that a large proportion of the mental patients refuse to get themselves diagnosed or treated because of the fear of being labeled as ‘abnormal’. It is basically the fear of being stigmatized in the society that prevents them from consulting a doctor regarding mental issues that they are encountering. Stigmatization of a mental patient literally means making a disgraceful remark about him; it is usually divided into four categories. Firstly, it is the labeling of a person as being “psycho” or “abnormal”; secondly, it is the stereotyping of condition, for example, people believe that all mental patients are violent; thirdly, it is to create a barrier by devaluing the mentally ill and considering those who are mentally fit to be superior; and lastly, it is to discriminate against the mentally ill – to not let them participate in normal activities or not allowing them at certain places etc. It is the fear of all this that makes a man weak, helpless and afraid of getting treatment done as people eventually find out. The problem of this stigma is that it has a long lasting effect. Once a person is tagged, it is almost close to impossible to reverse that. Keeping all this in mind, people even refuse to accept their mental disability themselves, let alone disclosing it to others (Moran, 2006). They divert their minds when they feel that they are experiencing symptoms of a mental illness; two-thirds of the mental patients who refuse to get treated are actually losing out as they can benefit greatly. On the other hand, those who accept that there is something wrong with them fear the diagnosis of a mental illness; thus, refuse to seek advice from a doctor. Mental patients even have difficulties finding housing – if neighbors are uncooperative, it is difficult to survive in the same vicinity at them. Also, they face discrimination at workplace and even harassment and physical violence. They have to face rejection by family and friends because of which they pretend as if nothing is wrong. Also, they do not get adequate health insurance and loans. It is common for mostly everyone to sympathize with a person who is suffering through a physical illness; they would never dare to mock such a patient. However, it is easy for people to ridicule a mental patient because they believe that mental conditions are caused due to a person’s own mistakes and choices. They also think that mostly it is “all in their head” – it is hard for many believe to accept that is actually something wrong with a patient; they think the patient is just exaggerating and should “get over it”. Normally, people fear mental patients – they think that such patients because of being mentally ill can do anything, resulting in violence and harm. However, this is not the case in every mental condition; not all patients are dangerous. But stereotyping is so common these days that it is hard to convince people into believing that mental patient can even be completely benign (WebMD, 2005). It is true that handling mental patients is a difficult task; one mistake can cause several problems as the mental condition can worsen any second without alarm. Nursing is becoming one of the most in-demand fields these days; nurses who take responsibility of mental patients need to have certain qualities to succeed. A nurse needs to have good communication skills – they not only need to understand the instructions given by the doctors, but also need to communicate well with the patient and families in order to understand their needs and expectations. Especially when the patient is mentally ill and has some speaking disability or cannot express himself due to some other reason, the nurse is supposed to take care of the situation. She should be well-versed in different cases in order to understand what exactly the patient is going through. She should be good at picking hints that the patient is dropping, in order to remain updated with the patient’s condition. It is very important for a nurse to be emotionally stable and not be overwhelmed with either fear or grief. Mental patients at times tend to get violent and uncontrollable, a nurse needs to keep his/her calm and handle the situation in a composed manner. Also, some cases instill feelings of depression as their condition is pitiful; a nurse is expected to pull through this stress and not let it hinder her efficiency. But at the same time, a good nurse will be empathetic and not detached; he/she will need to understand the pain and suffering the patient is going through because that becomes a motivating factor for him/her to provide comfort. Flexibility is crucial for a nurse – mental patients, or any other kinds of patients for that matter can need assistance at any time of the day. Mental patients are also not aware of their surroundings at times, thus, they do not have a sense of timing. Additionally, a good nurse will understand that every tiny mistake can cause somebody’s life. Nurses tend to pay attention to every little detail and make sure they do not make any mistakes. The possession of great interpersonal skills help nurses throughout their career – they need to deal with patients of different kinds; not losing their patience, they need to interact with mental patients even if they are not getting a comprehendible response. Mental patients may lose their senses at times and cause physical harm to the nurses when they try to operate on them for treatment; thus, nurses should have a strong physical endurance. Also, mental patients might need assistance continuously; thus, fulfilling their needs round the clock can get extremely tiring. Also, nurses should be good at problem solving; a mental patient should not be faced with problems as such tiny problems can always trigger a mental attack and worsen the current health situation. Therefore, it is expected of a nurse to be able to tackle with every problem even before they arise. Mental patients are extremely unpredictable; for that reason, nurses must be responsive. They usually are needed to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible, especially in the case of mental patients who can be expected to do anything and everything dangerous. Therefore, a nurse needs to be extremely watchful and alert. Nurses of mental patients should usually avoid talking about their condition in front of them as it lowers the patient’s morale and drags them into depression. A nurse should maintain cleanliness, quiet in the sickroom, a cheerful contagious smile on her face that will even make the patient feel better and a good sense of humor to lighten up and brighten the environment (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007). One last, but extremely important aspect of a nurse is respect. A nurse should learn to respect every patient and their conditions. Mental patients tend to talk their heart out with nurses most of the time; the sense of confidentiality should be present at all times. Generally, psychologists and psychiatrists are also expected to keep whatever their patients discuss with them confidential. It makes the patient feel secure and at ease when visiting the doctor. They should not break the patient’s trust and should learn to give them honor. When mentally ill people receive honor, it helps them to feel better about themselves, which helps them in coping up with their condition. Usually, when a mental patient is admitted into an institution, it makes a negative impact on them as they start feeling that there is something wrong with them and they are not like the rest of the normal people around. However, institutionalization normally gives a sense of security – a person does not need to fear the encounters with the ‘normal’ people of the society. Plus, they get hope as to the fact that they will be treated to become a mentally fit person. Apart from that, when a person lives with other mental patients, he feels more comfortable as everyone around understands what he is going through. Also, a sense of comfort with life is felt as he idea of ‘I am not the only one’ is instilled within a person. However, when a person gets discharged, he generally feels ecstatic if his treatment has been successful and he has been completely cured. There is a want to join the rest of the fit people of the society, but the stigma that had overshadowed all his happiness makes him unconfident of doing so. It is common knowledge that a person discharged from a mental institution is guaranteed to be labeled and made fun of. The fear of facing the people who mocked at him is an obstacle for him to accept the bright side of being discharged. No doubt, doctors are the one who cure the patient with their diagnosis and prescriptions, but they are the nurses who actually implement whatever the doctor thinks is appropriate (Radcliffe, 2000). The doctors visit the patients in institutions for regular checkups, but they are actually the nurses who look after the patients day and night. If any emergency occurs, it is required of that nurse to be educated and knowledgeable enough to handle the situation in the absence of the doctor. Therefore, it is critical for a nurse to be well informed about all the diseases that she is handling with a rough idea about the rest. Therefore, it is important for nurses to be assessed before they are given the responsibility of a patient – because it is not just a patient, it is a human life which is precious for almost everyone. A nurse should be given a chance to assess and examine the patient thoroughly, which can give her a complete idea of how to handle that specific patient. A successful nurse also should prepare a management plan for every patient he/she is handling – it will help him/her in taking better care of the patient because of better organization. The nurse will know what steps to taken next for the improvement of the patient’s mental condition. A nurse should also set goals and compare them time to time with the current situation to see how successful he/she has been in curing the patient – management and organization always enhance plans. Also, a nurse should be fully aware of the legal aspects of his/her profession. She should be well aware of the laws that are to be followed as directed by the Mental Health Act, with familiarity with the Nurse Practice Acts, Standards of Care, Americans with Disabilities Act, Good Samaritan Act, The Tort Law and agency guidelines and measures that affect the scope of nursing (Bog, N.D). A nurse needs to understand that there is no room for malfunction and negligence as that can cost a human life. In case of any mistake that causes great harm, an incident report is formulated with minute details of the entire happening; strict legal action can be taken against the malpractice of nurses and even their licenses can be cancelled. There are many ethnical issues that a nurse and even a mental patient have to face. Either the nurse is prejudiced and does not give enough attention to her patient, causing the patient to become even more depressed because of further rejection; or the patient is prejudiced and does not want a nurse from another race to take care of him. However, there is not much that can be done about the patient but actions can be taken against the nurse for being prejudiced – nurses are expected to give enough importance to all their patients. Mental patients have been spurned for a very long time in the society with only nurses taking care of them in mental institutions. Mentally ill people are critical to handle, thus, nurses need to be efficient and skilled to fulfill their duties. Mental illness affects one in every five people in Ontario in every walk of life. We should also take a stand and start accepting mentally ill people as a part of our society. Works Cited 1. Mark Radcliffe (2000), "Doctors and nurses: new game, same result", British Medical Journal 2. 2007, Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness, Mayo Clinic Staff 3. WebMD, Inc. (2005), Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness 4. T. Davies, (1997), ABC of mental health: Mental health assessment, British Medical Journal 5. Stigma and Mental Illness. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://www.mentalhealthworks.ca/facts/sheets/stigma.asp 6. Amanda Bog (N.D), Legal Aspects of Nursing. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_kozier_fundamentals_7/0,7865,763199-,00.html 7. Qualities of a Good Nurse. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://chestofbooks.com/health/reference/Household-Companion/The-Family-Doctor/Qualities-of-a-Good-Nurse.html 8. 2005, Mental illness and stigma: Coping with the ridicule, Mayo Clinic Staff, CNN. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/MH/00076.html 9. Caroline Moran (2006), Stigma and mental illness. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/content/?id=189 10. Top 10 Qualities of a great Nurse. Accessed on August 15, 2008 from http://www.nursingschools.com/guidance/nursing-top-10.html Read More