Nursing Community Rotation Model

Everyday nurses are learning something new. There is constant change as nurses face new challenges and advance their career. There are two models of transition that consider these challenges associated with change (Blais & Hayes, 2016). Bridges model of transition consists of three phases and he believes we go through all three as we experience change (Blais & Hayes, 2016). The first stage is the ending phase, which involves letting go of the past and discontinuing a connection (Blais & Hayes, 2016). When I got accepted into the nursing school I transitioned from a regular college student to a nursing student, which meant strictly focusing on passing nursing school. Once I pass the national state exam, I transition to a Registered Nurse. Then I transitioned from my employment setting as a waitress to a medical surgical telemetry nurse in a hospital setting. Within the ending phase, Bridges also describes four components: the second phase is the ending phase. It has four sections: disengagement, disidentification, disenchantment, disorientation. I fall under disenchantment, I currently work night shift and I have never been a night person. When I first started working night shift I was disoriented to time and constantly felt tired when I was out of work. I have now adapted to the schedule and can balance working nights and not being tired during the days when I am off. The second stage is the neutral zone, which consist of accepting your new role, however, the

Mental health teams generally comprise of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists and social workers, but other therapists such as family therapists, psychotherapists and counsellors might also become involved in the care of the patient (Perkins & Repper 1998).

Mental health teams generally comprise of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists and social workers, but other therapists such as family therapists, psychotherapists and counsellors might also become involved in the care of the patient (Perkins & Repper 1998).

Mental Health Counselors are some of highest interacting people in the career industry. Having the highest ability to communicate with peers, you are faced with new challenges every single day. Many different types of people bring many different problems to the table. They are not expected to close the door due to the fact of not knowing how to help one. You will need a very high comprehension of the world around you, to be able to achieve high success rates in this career.

A Paramedic is a professional who works within the healthcare industry; they work alongside Ambulance Technicians, other Paramedics, Doctors’ and Nurses. They work on the frontline and are called out to any emergencies, where they can work with the Fire Brigade and Police depending on the emergency. Paramedics are usually first on the scene and give emergency treatment until handed over to the relevant department. (Health Careers, 2017) A Mental Health Nurse also works within the healthcare industry, however they are mostly based in a hospital setting or out within the community. They can work in a psychiatric ward or visit patients at home. A Mental Health Nurse can work alongside, Psychologists, Social workers and other therapists. Unlike a Paramedic, a Mental Health Nurse has more one to one time with patients. This can help build relationships with their patients and family,

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.

A Community Psychiatric Nurse is fully trained and has many years experience in a hospital setting before going out into the community. Their experience would

“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.”

The mental health professional I interviewed was Carol McClelland of Freedom House Recovery Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Carol has worked with Freedom House for a year as the directory of outpatient services and is licensed as a LPC, LPCS, LCAS, CCS, and MA. Carol’s job requires her to be responsible for the direct oversight of all clinical operations and clinical integrity for outpatient services at Freedom House. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, along with a crisis and detox center that is available for contact 24/7. Carol has plenty of experience in the mental health field, such as working as a dual diagnosis/substance abuse outpatient therapist, working with the severely mentally ill, working as a criminal justice outpatient therapist, and also working in a methadone clinic. She chose this career after her experiences in working with mental health, and her extensive education in psychology and counseling. Carol stated that outpatient services was the most interesting out of her job experiences, so when she was offered the job at Freedom House, she accepted.

I did my study for this assignment in Stokes County, North Carolina which is where I recently moved to from Iowa. Stokes County is made up of several small towns but King, which is where I live, is the largest town. Stokes County is in the middle northern part of the state near the Virginia border, a mountain chain, and a lot of wilderness. Some of the towns are incorporated and some are not and a few only claim to be villages. Using the Population Economic Status Assessment, I looked at the State & County Quick Facts last revised: Feb-2015 and found that the county population is at about 46,588. The Caucasian population makes up 93.8% of the population, African American 4.4%, Hispanic 2.7%, and the remainder is 1.1%. The

The community chosen for this fieldwork practicum is Pasadena, California. Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of 2015, the estimated population of Pasadena was 140,881, making it the 183rd largest city in the United States (City Data, 2015). Pasadena is the ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County.

During my first clinical rotation as a nursing student, I was assigned to care for several older adults suffering from dementia. Although all of my patients ranged in severity from mild to severe progression of dementia, they all experienced moments of agitation, anxiety, or disturbed behaviors related to their disease. It occurred to me after careful review of several patient charts that despite often being prescribed pharmaceutical regimes for other comorbidities, these patients were rarely prescribed medications, besides those to control anxiety, specifically targeted at treating their progressing dementia. Through some research I discovered that the significant number of individuals affected with dementia is a growing public health concern in part due to the current limited ability of pharmaceutical treatments to treat the disease (Samson, Clement, Narme, Schiaratura, & Ehrle, 2015). This revelation began my interest in current nonpharmacological treatments being implemented in controlling adverse behaviors and feelings in patients diagnosed with dementia.

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.

Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and to promote mental health. They are trained to address a wide range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, and marital or other relationship problems. Mental health counselors often work closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors. (US Department of Labor)

I am excited to write about my experience of community health clinical orientation because I feel the students’ opinions are considered and value in order to continue to better the nursing program. The online orientation was great because many times, having orientation all day on campus can be draining and many students do not focus towards the end of the day. I was concerned about the lack of communication and organization; however it is understandable, there are many changes in the beginning of the semester. I liked having an audio in one of the power points because it provided more information since in my opinion the power points did not contain enough information to guide us into the semester as well as what professors are expecting from students. The videos required to watch also formed stress in all the students because they were not available and many did not know who to reach out to for help due to the lack of communication. I was able to only get through fifteen minutes of one of the videos before it stopped working and I enjoyed those few minutes because community nursing has an important history. The quiz provided was a good strategy to make sure students studied the power points and I believe this type of orientation should continue because it allows students to focus more and it’s an encouragement to read the information.