| Mental Health Nurses are called upon for a wide | | | | overcoming their problems. |
| variety of tasks that require a specific set of skills. Not | | | | Personal skills are also required for liaising with other |
| everyone is capable of meeting the demands of the | | | | medical professionals, be they doctors, occupational |
| position, but those that do are in high demand. Working | | | | therapists or psychiatrists. Maintaining a good |
| as a mental health nurse can sometimes be | | | | relationship with other people involved in the care of a |
| challenging, but it offers the opportunity to help people | | | | patient can help ease workloads for everyone |
| in desperate need and fulfil one of the most important | | | | involved and ensure that patients are getting the best |
| roles in British society. | | | | care possible. Having the patience to work with people |
| A high level of Personal skills is one of the most | | | | outside of the medical industry, who may not |
| important set of abilities for a nurse working with | | | | understand the reasons behind patient behaviour or |
| sufferers of mental illness. They work with children, | | | | decisions over patient care is important. |
| adults and the elderly with a wide variety of | | | | It also requires attention to detail. Nurses in both private |
| symptoms and care needs, providing essential care | | | | and residential mental health services are responsible |
| and support for people enduring the personal distress | | | | for ensuring that patients receive the correct |
| of mental health problems. Building a relationship with | | | | medication for their conditions and for monitoring how |
| patients to encourage their trust in medical advice is | | | | effective the treatment is. Maintaining accurate patient |
| critical to their chances of recovery and this can only | | | | records is key to ensuring that the best method of |
| be done by developing a personal relationship. Listening | | | | care is being followed to help patients. Nurses are also |
| and talking to patients about their problems is often | | | | required to ensure that all of the correct legal |
| one of the most effective ways of helping the | | | | requirements for their workplace or the patients in their |
| mentally ill recover. | | | | care are being followed. |
| The nature of mental health illnesses means that often, | | | | Although working as a mental healthcare nurse carries |
| nurses will need a degree of personal strength in their | | | | a large amount of responsibility, it can be extremely |
| interactions with patients. Some patients may | | | | rewarding. Helping people return to their normal lives as |
| experience acute mental distress and may be unable | | | | best as they can is literally a life saving |
| to communicate the reason they are upset - they may | | | | accomplishment. Nurses are the frontline of healthcare |
| even become aggressive. By responding in a | | | | and for many patients, their closest link to the path to |
| non-threatening manner, nurses can help understand | | | | recovery. |
| the reasons for distress and assist patients in | | | | |