Mental health nurses' confidence in applying pharmacological knowledge: a survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Sujatha Sanjeevi ◽  
Angela Cocoman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Drug Clearance ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Medication Information ◽  
Pharmacology Knowledge ◽  
Dosage Formulation

Background/Aims The literature highlights gaps on how nurses apply pharmacology knowledge to their medication management, particularly in relation to knowledge on the mechanism of action and drug interactions. The aim of this study was to research a sample of mental health nurses to explore their confidence, knowledge and skills in applying their pharmacological knowledge. Methods A paper-based survey questionnaire was distributed to 209 mental health nurses working in direct patient care in Ireland. A total of 129 completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 61.7%. Results The vast majority of mental health nurses were confident in their knowledge of pharmacological principles to medication management, in relation to dosage, formulation, adverse effects, and predictable side effects, including patient education and medication information. Nurses were less confident in their knowledge of pharmacodynamics related to their knowledge on the mechanism of action, and on the pharmacokinetics of drug clearance. This may negatively impact on their ability to educate patients about their medications. Conclusions The findings suggest that there is need for an increased focus on continuing education on pharmacology for nurses at service level, particularly on the mechanism of action and clearance of commonly used medications in order for nurses to more effectively support patients to manage their medications.

scholarly journals Strategies for Prevention: Mental Health Nurse Burnout and Stress

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Violeta Sadiku(Alterziu)
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Staff Wellbeing

The aim of this critical review was to identify prevention strategies that may be effective in the reduction of stress and burnout among mental health nurses. Diminished staff wellbeing, due to high levels of stress and burnout, has significant consequences at both the individual and the service level. Therefore, identifying effective prevention strategies may be beneficial in raising recruitment of mental health nurses, in prolonging retention, and may also have a positive impact on patient care. A search of the literature was undertaken utilising selected systematic review techniques, which identified seven articles as suitable for review. The results of the review found that three main prevention strategies were being utilised: clinical supervision, psychosocial intervention and social support. While all these strategies had the aim of minimising or preventing stress and/or burnout, they were all somewhat different in their focus and in their outcome measures. This factor, coupled with the paucity of high quality randomised intervention studies, makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions concerning which intervention is most effective. The best currently available evidence suggests that prolonged clinical supervision is probably the best of the three options for the reduction of stress and burnout among mental health nurses, given the lack of high quality evidence and the magnitude and potential impact of this problem

scholarly journals Increasing rural patient access using clinical pharmacy specialist providers: Successful practice integration within the Department of Veterans Affairs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A Groppi ◽  
Heather Ourth ◽  
Michael Tran ◽  
Anthony P Morreale ◽  
Michael Shawn McFarland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Clinical Pharmacy ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Department Of Veterans Affairs ◽  
Primary Care Mental Health

Abstract Purpose Access to care is a critical issue facing healthcare and affects patients living in rural and underserved areas more significantly. This led the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to launch a project that leveraged the expertise of the clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) provider, embedding 180 CPS providers into primary care, mental health, and pain management across the nation. Methods This multidimensional project resulted in hiring 111 CPS providers in primary care, 40 CPS providers in mental health, and 35 CPS providers in pain management to serve rural veterans’ needs. From October 2017 to March 2020, CPS providers provided direct patient care to 213,477 veterans within 606,987 visits. This was an average of 43,000 additional visits each quarter to support comprehensive medication management services, demonstrating an additional 219,823 visits in fiscal year 2018 and 232,030 visits in fiscal year 2019. Over the course of the project, the team provided mentorship to 164 CPS providers, performed consultative visits at 27 VA facilities, and trained 180 CPS providers in educational boot camps. Conclusion VA funding of rural health initiatives adding CPS providers to primary care, mental health, and pain teams has resulted in positive measures of comprehensive medication management, interdisciplinary team satisfaction, facility leadership acceptance, and multiple positive outcomes.

Stress and fitness in ward-based mental health nurses

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerome Carson ◽  
Leonard Fagin ◽  
Sukwinder Maal ◽  
Nicolette Devilliers ◽  
Patty O'Malley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Nurses

scholarly journals Changes in daily mental health service use and mortality at the commencement and lifting of COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ policy in 10 UK sites: a regression discontinuity in time design

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e049721
Author(s):  
Ioannis Bakolis ◽  
Robert Stewart ◽  
David Baldwin ◽  
Jane Beenstock ◽  
Paul Bibby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Inpatient Care ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Healthcare Data ◽  
Early Intervention In Psychosis

ObjectivesTo investigate changes in daily mental health (MH) service use and mortality in response to the introduction and the lifting of the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ policy in Spring 2020.DesignA regression discontinuity in time (RDiT) analysis of daily service-level activity.Setting and participantsMental healthcare data were extracted from 10 UK providers.Outcome measuresDaily (weekly for one site) deaths from all causes, referrals and discharges, inpatient care (admissions, discharges, caseloads) and community services (face-to-face (f2f)/non-f2f contacts, caseloads): Adult, older adult and child/adolescent mental health; early intervention in psychosis; home treatment teams and liaison/Accident and Emergency (A&E). Data were extracted from 1 Jan 2019 to 31 May 2020 for all sites, supplemented to 31 July 2020 for four sites. Changes around the commencement and lifting of COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ policy (23 March and 10 May, respectively) were estimated using a RDiT design with a difference-in-difference approach generating incidence rate ratios (IRRs), meta-analysed across sites.ResultsPooled estimates for the lockdown transition showed increased daily deaths (IRR 2.31, 95% CI 1.86 to 2.87), reduced referrals (IRR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.70) and reduced inpatient admissions (IRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.83) and caseloads (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.91) compared with the pre lockdown period. All community services saw shifts from f2f to non-f2f contacts, but varied in caseload changes. Lift of lockdown was associated with reduced deaths (IRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.66), increased referrals (IRR 1.36, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.60) and increased inpatient admissions (IRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.42) and caseloads (IRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.12) compared with the lockdown period. Site-wide activity, inpatient care and community services did not return to pre lockdown levels after lift of lockdown, while number of deaths did. Between-site heterogeneity most often indicated variation in size rather than direction of effect.ConclusionsMH service delivery underwent sizeable changes during the first national lockdown, with as-yet unknown and unevaluated consequences.

Policing mental illness: Police use of section 136 – Perspectives from police and mental-health nurses

2021 ◽  
pp. 002580242199336
Author(s):  
Meron Wondemaghen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Care Policy ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Pilot Scheme

Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalisation have meant police have had to make decisions about the care of persons with a mental-health crisis. This study examines how police in five English counties respond to crisis calls when employing the powers afforded in section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the effectiveness of the national Street Triage pilot scheme. Qualitative interviews with 30 police officers and mental-health nurses (MHN) were collected as data sources. The analysis shows that police have previously struggled with the significant number of crisis calls, whilst also finding mental-health services inadequately sourced, leading to some detentions in police cells as alternatives to health-based places of safety. However, the scheme has made positive changes in alleviating these issues when MHN are co-located with police, highlighting the need to strengthen their partnership by facilitating the sharing of information, responsibilities and decision making in order to ensure police cells continue to be avoided as alternative places of safety.

scholarly journals Observations from a small country: mental health policy, services and nursing in Wales

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ben Hannigan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Health Need ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Wales is a small country, with an ageing population, high levels of population health need and an economy with a significant reliance on public services. Its health system attracts little attention, with analyses tending to underplay the differences between the four countries of the UK. This paper helps redress this via a case study of Welsh mental health policy, services and nursing practice. Distinctively, successive devolved governments in Wales have emphasised public planning and provision. Wales also has primary legislation addressing sustainability and future generations, safe nurse staffing and rights of access to mental health services. However, in a context in which gaps always exist between national policy, local services and face-to-face care, evidence points to the existence of tension between Welsh policy aspirations and realities. Mental health nurses in Wales have produced a framework for action, which describes practice exemplars and looks forward to a secure future for the profession. With policy, however enlightened, lacking the singular potency to bring about intended change, nurses as the largest of the professional groups involved in mental health care have opportunities to make a difference in Wales through leadership, influence and collective action.

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