Mental Health Care System Of Australia

This Case Study will be undertaken as a group activity and is designed to deepen your knowledge about mental illnesses, and to test your understanding about the nursing care of people suffering from such conditions. It will also assist you to express your ideas through class presentation and in writing.

Mental health nursing is the most formidable as well as rewarding career. This kind of profession requires skills and intense training. It’s not your average hospital nurse.

The NSW Mental Health Act 2007 lays down the foundation in the proper provision and facilitation of care and treatment to persons with mental health disorders and promote their recovery while protecting the rights of these persons. One of the provisions of the Act uplifting this objective is in the involvement of family and nominated carers of patients. As defined by the Act, designated carers may represent from the person’s guardians; the parent

This assignment will define and analyse the need for a chosen service improvement within the pathway of mental health, as well as evaluating the suggested service. Demonstrating how this service can inform and benefit integrated practice, discussing the ways in which the agency’s statutory obligations and responsibilities impact on both individual and group decision making. The chosen service improvement for this assignment is the introduction of a mental health nurse into primary care services, for example, a GP Surgery. Focusing on service users with mental health issues in the community and therefore in the care of the local Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Newell, R. Gournay, K (2000) Mental Health Nursing - An evidence based approach. London: Churc

Contemporary Challenges in Mental Health Care Provision and Management 2 B73M20 Cohort 09/09 Student ID: 20328

As nurses, it extremely important for us to have an understanding of mental health so we can decrease the stigma in the healthcare profession. There shouldn’t be a difference between a “psychiatric nurse” and a “general nurse”. Since over 50% of the population suffers from a mental illness, both professions should be equally educated and sensitive towards health care issues.

The author will also discuss the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Mental Health Act (1983) and how it protect an adult who is vulnerable and lacks capacity. Likewise, the author will discuss ranges of nursing interventions, person-centred care, and ethical dilemmas.

Nurses are governed by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC), and Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) the standards covered in the presentation are 4,6,7,8,9 and 10. (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2015). Therapeutic relationships were also briefly discussed these relationships give way to hope (Cahill, Paley, & Hardy. 2013 . Queensland Mental Health Commission, 2014). Other elements of the nurses role where excellent communication skills team work, taking time planning goal setting and promoting autonomy (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au, 2015; Ennis, Happell, Broadbent, & Reid-Searl, 2013) one article which stood out for the author was this one written by Gunasekara, (2014) it focuses on what makes a mental health nurse and incorporates all of the presented aspects of the nurses role. Tools to assist the nurse with planning goal setting and assessment where mentioned

Mental health problems have been classified as a concerning public health course of action which creates lifelong effects on the individuals affected (Chief Medical Office, 2012). In spite of this, Wilson et al (2007) cross-sectional study concluded that school nurses are untrained and lack the relevant skills and knowledge required to successfully help and support young people with mental health problems. Although this was deemed as an expansive study, the represented sample was only made up of 100 participants. This disadvantage constrains the outcomes to produce a sample size relevant to the school nurse population.

Knowing that patients with mental illnesses suffer from more physical health related issues than the average person is significant to nursing practice because a solution needs to be discussed by the surrounding health care team and applied to practice. The articles that will be discussed below were chosen because they

Mental health is something very few people are actually grasp, people have their stereotypical ideas of the people who has mental disorders and have no idea what they are going through on a daily basis. It is important as a nurse to be able to help the patient’s in all aspects not just from the medical aspect of them. The nurse needs to be able to help them spiritual, cultural, emotional, and physically and how it implies to their family, community, and their special population they belong to.

Founded in 1986, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, set its goals to advance the science and education of psychiatric or mental health nursing. It was also established to unify this specialty. Currently there are 40 states or local chapters. This organization promotes the health, wellness and recovery of mental illnesses. Their reason for being developed is the expressed in seven core values of empowerment, inclusivity, integrity, collegiality, innovation, transparency, and stewardship (Adams, 2015). This organization has set four short term goals. These goals include being an indispensable resource for member networking, to form alliances to advance the mission, being the expert voice on psychiatric nursing, and to integrate research, practice and education. Their long term goal is to be the recognized leader in advancing psychiatric-mental health nursing to improve the mental health of the population (Adams, 2015).

This article explains the necessary skills which someone needs to possess to become a mental health nurse. The article goes on to explain that as caregivers to a population of somewhat helpless and vulnerable people, nurses who work in the mental health and psychological fields must be humane, sympathetic, quiet, nonjudgmental, and above all else patient. These nurses must possess outstanding communication skills to be able to speak effectively with the patients, their families, and other mental health and medical professionals. Also, since mental health nurses work so frequently and closely with mentally challenged patients and those who are in emotional dilemmas, they must be sincerely steady with brilliant self-administration abilities. Solid critical thinking skills and advanced problem-solving techniques assist them with dealing with crisis and difficult situations while remaining calm. Mental health nurses should also be detail and attention oriented, particularly when administering medication to patients to ensure the correct medications are given to the correct patient. I believe this article will be helpful due to the information it gives on the necessary skills that a person must have in order to become a mental health nurse. This article gives anyone

“60% of people with a mental health problem or illness won’t seek help for fear of being labeled.” (“Opening Minds”, 2017) These people are dealing with the stigma which surrounds mental health, which is discouraging people from seeking the treatment they need. This stigma is not just present in society, the workplace and with family and friends but, also within the healthcare system. While patients are surrounded by people who are taking care of them and should be showing the most compassion, stigma is still present through how people are talked to and treated. To lessen the amount of stigma surrounding mental health, programs such as Open Minds, through the Mental Health Commission of Canada are created. These programs aim to reduce stigma by creating an environment where people feel free to seek treatment and support for their illnesses. (“Opening Minds”, 2017) In the article “‘‘They are Us—We are Them’’: Transformative learning through nursing education leadership” the authors Stephanie Knaak, Jane Karpa, Renee Robinsin and Louise Bradley describe an anti-stigmatization program through the mental health commission of Canada. The Recovery Narrative Assignment is a part of a course, at Brandon University, where students meet with clients in the community who are suffering with mental health issues once a week over the course of a semester. The program aims to lower stigma within nursing