Personal Philosophy of Mental Health Nursing
Personal Philosophy of Mental Health Nursing
Bonnie K. Wright
University of Charleston
Each individual has their own personal philosophy of mental health nursing. Throughout this paper there will be facts, and my personal thoughts. This is including the following topics; mental health, mental illness, continuum of mental health/mental illness, defense mechanisms, therapeutic tools, and self-awareness in the nurse.
The words mental health placed together creates a definition of a person’s psychological and well-being of emotions. Each person’s definition may vary, but it boils down to the same raw meaning (Townsend, M. 2014). Mental health is evaluated at each doctor’s visit without the patient even knowing why the nurse or physician are asking certain questions. It is important to know in which state the patient’s emotions and mental health status is for their own safety. Mental illness can vary from mild to severe cases, and can differ per illness. Anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic, and anorexia disorders are just a few classified as mental illnesses. There are early signs of mental illness that one could detect early enough to delay or get a better control on the illness. Withdrawal from others, heightened senses, no desire to have activities with others, extreme beliefs, nervousness, and appetite changes can be early signs of an illness. Many times it is the people surrounding the individual that notices a difference in their behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Nobody will argue that mental health and mental illness are not closely related, they both talk about the persons mind, and the shape the mind is in. One can talk about mental health without mental illness being mentioned because everyone has mental health but not everyone has mental illness. Just the opposite for mental illness. It is not possible for one to say someone has a mental illness without stating their mental health status. Many
Bonnie K. Wright
University of Charleston
Each individual has their own personal philosophy of mental health nursing. Throughout this paper there will be facts, and my personal thoughts. This is including the following topics; mental health, mental illness, continuum of mental health/mental illness, defense mechanisms, therapeutic tools, and self-awareness in the nurse.
The words mental health placed together creates a definition of a person’s psychological and well-being of emotions. Each person’s definition may vary, but it boils down to the same raw meaning (Townsend, M. 2014). Mental health is evaluated at each doctor’s visit without the patient even knowing why the nurse or physician are asking certain questions. It is important to know in which state the patient’s emotions and mental health status is for their own safety. Mental illness can vary from mild to severe cases, and can differ per illness. Anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic, and anorexia disorders are just a few classified as mental illnesses. There are early signs of mental illness that one could detect early enough to delay or get a better control on the illness. Withdrawal from others, heightened senses, no desire to have activities with others, extreme beliefs, nervousness, and appetite changes can be early signs of an illness. Many times it is the people surrounding the individual that notices a difference in their behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Nobody will argue that mental health and mental illness are not closely related, they both talk about the persons mind, and the shape the mind is in. One can talk about mental health without mental illness being mentioned because everyone has mental health but not everyone has mental illness. Just the opposite for mental illness. It is not possible for one to say someone has a mental illness without stating their mental health status. Many
References: American Psychiatric Association, (2014). Warning Signs of Mental Illness. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.psychiatry.org Bischko, D. (1998). The art of nursing: the client-nurse relationship as a therapeutic tool. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from www.pubmed.gov Rippetow, P., Rogers, R. (2012). Effects of components of protection-motivation theory on adaptive and maladaptive coping with a health threat. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.psycnet.apa.org Seven Counties Services, 2014. Hope Happens Here: Mental Health in Older Adults. Retrieved September 21, 2014 from www.sevencounties.org Sommer, S., Johnson, J., Roberts, K., Redding, S. (2013). RN Mental Health Nursing-Foundations for Mental Health Nursing: Stress and Defense Mechanisms. P 29-32. Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing. (2013). Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.nursingplanet.com Townsend, M. (2014). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: concepts of care in evidence-based practice. P. 3, 17-19. Philadelphia, PA.