Mental health nursing

							This page introduces mental health nursing.
What is it?
One of the most complex and demanding areas of nursing. As many as one in
three people are thought to suffer some form of mental health problem.
For many, mental illness is brought on by a crisis in life, which they
can't cope with, such as depression after the death of a partner. A
mental health nurse may be part of a team working with people who may
have been excluded from services through drug or alcohol abuse.

The range of conditions is vast: neuroses, psychoses, psychological and
personality disorders all come under the broad heading of mental health.
What does it involve?
The key role and challenge is to form therapeutic relationships with
mentally ill people and their families. Most mentally ill people are not
cared for in hospital but in the community.

You might be based in a community health care centre, day hospital and
outpatients department or specialist unit. You will need to have a good
understanding of the theories of mental health and illness.

hat are the special demands? Your main tool as a mental health nurse will
be the strength of your own personality and communication skills. You
will need to empathise with the people you are dealing with and show
warmth and care about them. Regrettably there is still some stigma
attached to mental illness. Combating this and helping the individuals
and their families deal with it is a key part of the job.

The danger of violence is often associated with this branch of nursing
and one of the special skills required is to spot a build up of tension
and defuse it.

Dealing with the human mind and behaviour is not an exact science. The
job of helping people back to mental health is every bit as valuable and
satisfying as caring for those with a physical illness.

It is possible to combine training as a mental health nurse with social
work.