Halter: Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 2nd Edition

Chapter 01: Mental Health and Mental Illness Halter: Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 2nd Edition MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. Which of the following would the nurse expect as an advanced practice intervention? a. Conduct mental health assessments b. Prescribe psychotropic medication c. Establish therapeutic relationships d. Individualize nursing care plans ANS: B Prescriptive privileges are granted to master’s-prepared nurse practitioners who have taken special courses on prescribing medication; thus it is an advanced-practice intervention. The nurse prepared at the basic level is permitted to perform mental health assessments, establish relationships, and provide individualized care planning. DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment 2. When a nursing student expresses concerns about how mental health nurses “lose all their nursing skills,” which of the following is the best response by the mental health nurse? a. “Psychiatric nurses practise in safer environments than other specialties. Nurse-to-patient ratios must be better because of the nature of the patients’ problems.” b. “Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations.” c. “That’s a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high-technology monitoring equipment and manage complex intravenous therapies.” d. “Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering as medical–surgical nurses do. That appeals to me.” ANS: B The practice of psychiatric nursing requires a different set of skills from medical–surgical nursing, though there is substantial overlap. Two domains relate specifically to psychiatric nursing: behavioural, including communication, coping, and education; and safety, covering crisis and risk management. Basic psychosocial nursing concepts are central to psychiatric nursing practice and increase your competency as a practitioner in all clinical settings. Whatever setting you choose to work in, you will have the opportunity to improve the lives of people who are experiencing mental illness as an additional challenge to their health. Your experience in the mental health nursing rotation can help you gain insight into yourself and greatly increase your insight into the experiences of others. This part of nursing education can provide guidelines for and the opportunity to learn new skills for dealing with a variety of challenging behaviours. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical pain and suffering. DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment