The Role of Nurses in the Delivery of Physical Care for People with Mental Illnesses - Research Paper Example

10 studies were eventually considered and reviewed. Three themes were drawn from these studies, including health promotion of mental health patients by the nurse; disease management of the mentally ill; and nurse attitudes toward the physical care of the mentally ill. In health promotion, the nurse’s role is to ensure that the patient is sufficiently informed about his disease and is informed about the value of the physical activity, diabetes management, and regular screening. Disease management also relates to the assessment and weight monitoring of patients with guidance from nurses on efficient management of physical health. Finally, nurse attitudes and general attitudes about physical care needs are encouraging, but the reduction of stigma against physical care is needed to ensure holistic management of the patient.

In general, this review concludes that the nurse has various significant roles in the management of the physical needs of the mentally ill. More improvements in skills and training, as well as knowledge, are however important to promote more favorable outcomes among these patients. The mental health nurse has a variety of roles in the management of patients with mental health diseases. These roles range from the delivery of nursing standards as dictated by the nursing professional code to the delivery of care as specified by specialized areas of nursing care.

Mental health nursing is considered a complicated and demanding practice. Still, it has become one of the most important fields of healthcare delivery due to the increase of individuals suffering from mental health issues. However, managing mental health issues is hardly an exact or clear science. Mental illnesses are often caused or triggered by a life crisis, including the death of a loved one or an unfortunate incident at work or school. These incidents can lead to depression which can then escalate to other mental health problems.

Other mental health issues have also been noted from other mental health sufferers and in some cases, a combination of mental health issues has been observed.