Community Mental Health Nursing

Subject: Mental Health (Theory)

Overview

In order to maximize their level of functioning, community mental health nurses interact with clients in the community and coordinate the variety of services needed by the clients. With a case management strategy, clinical and administrative tasks including evaluation, counseling, planning, linking, advocacy, and monitoring are coordinated. Care provider, coordinator, facilitator, health educator, counselor, motivator, change agent, problem solver, supervisor, advocate, researcher, planner, manager, and evaluator are just a few of the roles that nurses play in the community to avoid mental health problems. Participate in research at a facility or mental health authority and act as a preceptor for nursing students in their first year of study.

Community Mental Health Nursing

Definition

In order to maximize their level of functioning, community mental health nurses work with clients in the community and coordinate the variety of services needed by the clients. With a case management approach, clinical and administrative tasks like assessment, counseling, planning, linkage, advocacy, and monitoring are coordinated.

This includes a recovery-focused approach that incorporates instruction in fundamental life skills and living interventions, as well as active outreach to help.

Purpose

  • To describe the development of the movement for community mental health,
  • To pinpoint nursing assessment components that are essential for community treatment success,
  • To distinguish between the characteristics, treatment objectives, and nursing intervention between the hospital and community settings.
  • To evaluate the roles played by nurses in community mental health in light of their respective nursing education backgrounds.
  • To describe the functions of the nurse as the multidisciplinary team's biopsychosocial care manager.

Roles of Nurse in Community in Prevention of Mental Health Problem

Since a nurse is the only member of staff who regularly interacts with family members and cultivates a rapport with them, this enables her to keep track of the health and illness of the family member. The ongoing communication offers trustworthy information to spot any changes to one's normal state of health.

Care Provider

Though the role of community health nurse is to emphasize on disease prevention , health promotion and maintenance and rehabilitation but her role is also to provide care to sick and disable member of the family.

Co-ordinator

Community health nurses will consider helping a family member when a sick member returns home from the hospital. Family health services are also provided by doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and physiotherapists in addition to community health nurses. In order to obtain inter- and multi-sectoral cooperation for the promotion and maintenance of a family's good health, the nurse coordinates with various sectors including agriculture, banking, communication, education, and industry.

Facilitator

The nurse's job includes removing obstacles for the family or making services available and accessible to them. Sometimes families balk at using the available resources because they are unsure of how to proceed. In this circumstance, the nurse can assist in agency utilization by making the necessary arrangements or appropriate referrals.

Health Educator

Most frequently, the nurse will intervene. When she interacts with family, she determines whether a health need is preventive, promotional, rehabilitative, or curative and provides the proper instruction on the relevant subject.

Counselor

Because of her skills as a nurse, including her friendliness, helpfulness, and empathy, she has no trouble earning the trust and confidence of family members. For the most private and intimate issue, she consults and seeks advice.

Motivator

The nurse encourages the members of the family to adopt healthy behaviors and attitudes. She even inspires them to identify their healthcare needs, seek out healthcare, and maintain and promote their own health.

Change Agent

The nurse works as a change agent to help the family members' attitudes, behaviors, and practices change for the better.

Problem Solver

The family health nurse makes a family diagnosis on the basis of health needs of the family and decides appropriate actions to solve the problems with the help of the family members.

Supervisor

The family health nurse supervises guides and motivates the subordinates or community people and directs their action to meet the predetermined goals or objectives.

Advocator

The family health nurse can use the nursing knowledge to bring about changes in the system to help the client. She can pressurize agencies into modifying policies or educate family members in ways to overcome needless restriction.

Researcher

In order to change and improve family health, the nurse conducts research on health issues, health services offered to families, health behaviors, and family member attitudes.

Planner

Based on the families' health needs or problems, the family health nurse plans a variety of health actions and activities.

Manager

The nurse organizes human resources, finances, and materials, manages various health programs, and develops the necessary plans and policies to address the needs or issues of the family.

Evaluator

Through routine follow-up visits or supervision, the nurse periodically assesses the health education, health services, or care provider to the family or its members and as a result determines the efficacy of service without any bias.

Another Role Include:

Practice:

Under close supervision, give the patient nursing care and help manage their medications as directed.

Consultation:

Discuss care planning with the staff, work with a nurse practitioner or doctor to promote physical and mental health care, and work with staff from other agencies.

Administration

Take the lead on the team treating mental illness.

Research and Education

Participate in research at a facility or mental health authority and act as a preceptor for nursing students in their first year of study.
Things to remember
  • In order to maximize their level of functioning, community mental health nurses interact with clients in the community and coordinate the variety of services needed by the clients.
  • With a case management strategy, clinical and administrative tasks including evaluation, counseling, planning, linking, advocacy, and monitoring are coordinated.
  • Care provider, coordinator, facilitator, health educator, counselor, motivator, change agent, problem solver, supervisor, advocate, researcher, planner, manager, and evaluator are just a few of the roles that nurses play in the community to prevent mental health problems.
  • Participate in research at a facility or mental health authority and act as a preceptor for nursing students in their first year of study.
Questions and Answers

Because the nurse is the only person who has constant contact with family members and develops a trusting relationship with them, she is able to monitor the health and illness of the family member. The continuous contact provides reliable data for detecting changes in normal health.

Provider of care

Though the role of a community health nurse is to emphasize disease prevention, health promotion, maintenance, and rehabilitation, she is also responsible for providing care to sick and disabled family members.

Co-ordinator

When a sick family member returns home from the hospital, the community health nurse considers providing service to a family member. In addition to the community health nurse, the physician, dentist, nutritionist, and physiotherapist provide family health care. The nurse works with various sectors such as agriculture, banking, communication, education, and industry to achieve inter- and multi-sectoral cooperation for the promotion and maintenance of family health.

Facilitator
One of the nurse's important roles is to remove a barrier to or make service available and accessible to the family. Sometimes families refuse or delay using available resources because they are unsure how to proceed. In this case, the nurse can facilitate the use of an agency by making the necessary arrangements or making appropriate referrals.

Health instructor
It is usually the nurse's intervention. As she interacts with family members, she identifies the health need, whether preventive, promotional, rehabilitative, or curative, and provides appropriate education on the topic.

Counselor
As a nurse, she is friendly, helpful, and empathetic, and she easily develops trust and confidence in family members. She consults with and seeks advice on the most intimate and personal of issues.

Motivator
The nurse encourages family members to adopt healthy habits and attitudes. She also encourages them to assess their own health needs, seek health services, and promote and maintain their own health.

Agent of transformation
The nurse acts as a change agent to instill positive attitudes, behaviors, and practices in family members.

Solver of problems
The family health nurse makes a family diagnosis based on the family's health needs and decides on appropriate actions to solve problems with the help of family members.

Supervisor
The family health nurse supervises, guides, and motivates subordinates or members of the community, and directs their actions to achieve predetermined goals or objectives.

Advocator
The family health nurse can use her nursing knowledge to effect system changes that will benefit the client. She can put pressure on agencies to change policies or educate family members on how to avoid unnecessary restrictions.

Researcher
The nurse conducts research on health problems, health services provided to families, health practices, and family members' attitudes so that changes and improvements in family health can be made.

Planner
The family health nurse plans various health actions and activities based on the families' health needs or problems.

Manager
The nurse manages various health programs, organizes human resources, money, and materials, and develops appropriate plans and policies to address the needs or problems of the family.

Evaluator
The nurse evaluates the health education, health services, or care provider to the family or its members on a regular basis through follow-up visits or supervision, and thus determines the effectiveness of the service provided without bias.

Other responsibilities include:

Under direct supervision, provide nursing care to the consumer and assist with medication management as prescribed.

Consultation: Consult with staff about care planning and collaborate with a nurse practitioner or physician to promote health and mental health care.

Administration
Assume leadership of a mental health treatment team.

Education and research
Participate in research at a government agency or mental health authority, and act as a preceptor for undergraduate nursing students.

 

Community mental health nurse works with clients in the community and coordinates the range of service required by the clients in order to maximize the clients level of functioning . a case management approach offers coordination of clinical and administration function including assessment , counseling, planning, linkage, advocacy and monitoring.

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