Keanan Brown
Psychology
DeNaeyer
Psychology plays a part (whether it be big or small) in every single industry. It has become very important to study the human mind for the better outcome of operations carried out on a daily basis. Nursing and psychology are in some aspects polar opposites, but in the same sense they are interconnected. The main focus in nursing is helping individuals overcome/deal with minor to severe illnesses, while psychologists focus almost entirely on treating the psychological issues of people. That being said, nurses must have a basic understanding of psychology in order to help their patients through a quick and easy recovery.
To help one better comprehend how psychology is used in nursing, one must first discuss a few of the different types of nurses, as well as the tasks they may have to complete on any given day. Three of the most psychologically involved nursing fields are addiction nurses, critical care nurses, and rehabilitation nurses (Collingwood J. The Relationship between Mental and Physical Health.). Although the average work day of these three professions consists of quite a few differences, they all must perform some of the same tasks, such as observing patients/recording observations, administering medicine and treatments, teaching patients and families how to manage illness and injuries, and explaining what to do once at home and out of their care (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014-15). After reading the preceding paragraphs you may be wondering “what is the importance of psychology in those three career fields?” and the answer to this is quite simple. Nurses must take care of patients during severe health conditions and deal with their moods and behaviors. When evaluating a patient's condition, nurses not only consider the severity of the illness or the level of pain or discomfort, but they also examine the patient's response. Some patients, for example, remain optimistic