Don 't Be Afraid Of Mental Illness

para. 1). Registered Nurses should be emotionally stable, so they can help the families through rough times (“Registered Nurses” U.S. para. 47). An RN also needs to be organized, and to make sure the patient gets what they need when needed (“Registered Nurses” U.S. para. 48). All RN’s will need to have the patients medical issues, and problems handy and to give the patients, and their medicines when the patients need it (“Registered Nurses” U.S. para. 8). An RN will usually records what the patient is doing, sometimes work with medical machinery, talk to doctors about the patient, and help the patient and the patient’s family on how to deal with their medical problems (“Registered Nurses” U.S. para. 8). Another important thing that an RN will need is to have the physical stamina and to be ready to lift or transfer patients (“Registered Nurses” U.S. para. 49). An RN will have to be able to lift at least 10 pounds, maybe even 20 pounds (“Registered Nurse” para. 4). A person in this career should have an energy level that is somewhat high, has a skill that is interpersonal, and a knowledge that is a little scientific (“Career” para. 6). If you happen to be an RN in a nursing home, an RN will watch over the LPN’s and CNA’s, may start fluids for the patient, make plans for treatments, and manage the patients health

“Mental health nurse also work with families of patients to make sure that patients are getting all the help that they can. In addition, they may play a roll in educating the community about mental health issues.” (Career Cruising) Depending on what they choose, mental health nurses can help either children or the elder. Many work with those who are a danger to themselves and others. “Some mental health nurses are trained and assigned to work within the prison populations. Some may work with those who have substances abuse problems.”

Nursing is not just a collection of tasks. To provide safe and effective care to the clients, nurses must integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes to make sound judgement and decisions. This essay describes some of the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing and discusses why they are essential attributes of a competent nurse.

Treatment takes a long time so you need to have patience and understand that the patient won’t get better over night. It would also be good to have some knowledge on computers so you can do documentation on each of your patients. To become a Psychiatric Nurse, I think you should know medical terminology so that you are able to elaborate to your patient about their diagnosis and treatments. You should also have good communication and listening skills. You need to be able to communicate with your patients, and you also need to be able to listen to what they have to say.

Realizing that in many cases the nurse is the patient’s advocate, I will plan to also attain a bachelor’s degree in social work. This will allow me to be the nurse understands and addresses a patient’s physical needs, but their human needs. Ensuring a patients and family members receive compassion, empathy and total respect they deserve. It is usually not a pleasant time during these situations, and the experience is something that remains with the person for a long time after the actual event. The doctors involved, and especially the nurses, who have a lot of contact with the patient, are remembered by the patient. I remember my advocates during my times of trial. If I can be that for someone else, then I will have attained my life calling.

Additionally, nurses need to “have a heart”, so they can sympathize with their patients during the ups and downs of their health. A trait that will not be tolerated as a nurse happens to be the one that harms oneself the most: weakness. The job of a nurse necessitates strength and power though one’s body language, spirit, and attitude. Ferguson specified, “Nurses demand alertness, education, and a certain amount of mental and physical stamina” (820). Mrs. Clark added, “Being a nurse is not for a slacker. You have to want it and work hard.” One must also develop a sense of calmness in stressful and life-threatening circumstances (Ferguson 821). Although becoming a nurse may seem hard and challenging, with the right set of skills, one can accomplish whatsoever they set their mind to.

A nurse is a person formally educated and trained in the care of the sick or infirm. The nurse works in collaboration with other healthcare professionals and is responsible for the treatment, safety, and recovery of sick people who are in need of close observation and physical, emotional, spiritual and social care. This paper will explain the competencies for nurses prepared at the ADN and BSN levels.

Nurses must be competent enough to obtain knowledge regarding patients condition, treatments available and associated risks in order to provide the relevant information for the patient to consent. Nurses should also be competent enough to answer range of questions from patients and act at their best interest to deliver good

They have to be able to communicate with the doctors and patients. They must also listen carefully to doctor’s orders even if they feel they can’t do what was asked. Good nurses are able to follow directions without a problem and easily communicate with the patient. “You don’t mean he must die, Doctor? Bless you, there’s not the slightest hope for him and you’d better tell him so before long; women have a way of doing such things comfortable. So I leave it to you.” (Alcott, 2008, p.562) Emotional Stability is another ability Alcott had. She accepted the suffering and death without letting it get personal. “I could have sat down on the spot and cried heartily, if I had not learned the wisdom of bottling up one’s tears for leisure moments.” (Alcott, 2008, p.562) She was there to help John get through this although she knew he wasn’t going to recover. Empathy, I believe is the best and hardest one of all. Nurses that have empathy for their patient’s pain and suffering and are able to feel compassion and provide comfort. Alcott did just that. “My heart opened wide and took him in, as, gathering the bent head in my arms, as freely as if he had been a little child, I said, “Let me help you bear it,

Nurses may play different roles in the field, but their responsibilities are all very similar. Nurses must be confident in everything they do and be patient with people. They should have strong listening

To have a successful career in nursing one must have certain skills and abilities. A nurse must always be looking for ways to help her patients. Critical thinking is important because sometimes a nurse must make quick decisions that may benefit or harm the patient. Medical tools are always used while on the job and a nurse must know what these tools are and how to operate each one. A nurse must also know what tool is best needed for a certain patient when trying to make them better.

General Qualifications for becoming a nurse, according to Regina Ranburn, include: “Compassion, caring for others, selflessness, love for humanity, and desire to help others” (1). These qualities are vital to a career in nursing because most fields require direct patient care. Dealing with patients one-on-one every day

There are many skills and abilities that nurses must possess in an everyday working environment.  Among these are knowledge, consideration, and communication.  I believe that every caring professional should be proficient in these skills so that he/she provides the best care possible for the patients.

The goal to improve nurse-patient interactions with patients suffering from mental illness can be satisfied by a preceptor program that is used to train new hires by educating them on the history of mental health, training them on how to better understand mental health patients through communication, how to identify and control erratic patients, and they will be taught special skills on how to communicate effectively to best serve and treat different types of mental illness through interaction. In developing a preceptor program, the goal is to fix any and all problems to address the concerns of new hire nurses and to educate new hire nurses on how to adapt and control mental health patients in the work environment. It is also created to foster

About one-quarter of all American adults suffer from a mental health disorder in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Mental health is an important component of overall health and wellness. Treatment options often include medication and psychotherapy. Mental health nurses help patients who suffer from mental illness to recover their mental health so that they can live to their fullest potential. For example, mental health nurses work in a variety of settings, such as, psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse treatment programs, home healthcare services, community mental health agencies, and private practice. This paper will give a description of my clinical experience at a psychiatric hospital.