A Mental Health Nurse (MHN) refers to a ''

psychiatric nurse Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophr ...

'' in the UK, who specialises in the care of patients with

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

issues.

Background

MHNs comprise approximately 12% of the total

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

Nursing workforce. In order to qualify as a MHN in the UK, a Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) accredited nursing degree or diploma is required. Registration must be renewed every three years, for which 450 hours of registered practice and 35 hours of study must have been completed in the past three years. The total number of registered mental health nurses in the UK was 48,130 in 2010, however, since then there has been a slight decrease, as some nurses have transferred over to voluntary and independent providers. MHNs typically work within

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

settings, as part of Crisis Assessment and Treatment,

inpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health ca ...

environments and/or community mental health teams.

Roles

MHNs act to bridge the gap between mental health services and

general practice General practice is the name given in various nations, such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to the services provided by general practitioners. In some nations, such as the US, similar services may be describe ...

for patients with acute to chronic mental illnesses. The role of an MHN has gradually transitioned over the years, to encompass a greater level of involvement in patient care e.g. nurses now have authority to prescribe

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

. The main responsibilities of a MHN can be subdivided into six broad categories with a certain degree of overlap: * Case management: This consists of tailoring care to the specific needs of an individual. It involves providing interventions in the form of

psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

or familial support; arranging other services when required; establishing networks with community agencies; overseeing changes in medication; community integration and actively seeking out people who drop out of services. *

Psychosocial interventions Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizoph ...

: A

holistic Holism () is the idea that various systems (e.g. physical, biological, social) should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts. The term "holism" was coined by Jan Smuts in his 1926 book ''Holism and Evolution''."holism, n." OED Onl ...

approach to patient care is required, by which the MHN should build

rapport Rapport () is a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned are "in sync" with each other, understand each other's feelings or ideas, and communicate smoothly. The word stems from the French verb which means liter ...

with patients to encourage trust, while listening to and interpreting their needs and concerns. If a patient is having social/financial problems, the MHN may offer advice and interventions e.g. by arranging social events in the community, in order to develop patients' socials skills and combat feelings of isolation. They may also work with patients' families and carers, helping to educate them about the burden of mental illness. *

Physical health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

: Individuals with long-term mental illness may have substantial cardiometabolic/

respiratory The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies grea ...

illnesses. Furthermore, this population is at considerable risk of contracting infections, such as

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

and

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

.Brady S. M. and Carmen E: AIDS risk in the chronically mentally ill: clinical strategies for prevention. New Directions for Mental Health Services, 48, 83-95, 1990 -9 The MHN will prepare and maintain comprehensive patient records, whilst also producing care plans and risk assessments. They must also monitor weight, blood pressure and provide health education and interventions in areas such as diet, smoking and sexual behaviour. *

Medication management Medication therapy management, generally called medicine use review in the United Kingdom, is a service provided typically by pharmacists that aims to improve outcomes by helping people to better understand their health conditions and the medication ...

: MHN must ensure correct administration of medication, including injections, and monitoring the results of treatment. * Working with

dual diagnosis Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders (COD) or dual pathology) is the condition of having a mental illness and a comorbid substance use disorder. There is considerable debate surrounding the appropriateness of using a single categor ...

patients, and promoting a 'recovery' based approach to care. * Behavioural therapy: Providing evidence- based individual therapy e.g.

cognitive behavioural therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (su ...

for depression and

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

. Empathising with distressed patients and applying ‘

de-escalation De-escalation is a human behavior that is intended to prevent escalation of conflicts. It may also refer to approaches in conflict resolution. People may become committed to behaviors that tend to escalate conflict, so specific measures must b ...

’ techniques to help patients manage their emotions and behaviour better. Encourage patients to take part in therapeutic hobbies such as art or drama.

References

{{Reflist Mental health occupations Psychiatric nursing

Background

Roles

See also

References