usaonitsukatiger

Shifting the power balance between service user and professional also has its own struggles, some patients appreciate formal health service offered and some professionals may struggle to give up some of their power. I personally feel a positive mental health approach manages to strike a balance between all. I often say a skill of a mental health nurse is knowing when not to take action or when not to take control in the right context. All people should have the right to learn by making their own right and wrong choices. Nurses have distinguished their unique contribution to individual care in terms of empathy, being non-judgemental, allowing time, providing support and promoting positive links with friends and family. I see these as skills rather than roles, although I have seen ‘have a non-judgemental attitude’ in a job description.Onitsuka Tiger X Tokidoki Fabre The difficulties with these skills as pointed out by Gowodo and Nolan (2008) is that they are almost impossible to quantify, to evidence. It is difficult to produce evidence that demonstrates the level of skill and care delivered by the nurse and also that this work is being done and continues to be an important aspect enhancing patient care and recovery. Having said that, these skills are the pinnacle of good nursing practice and have a lasting impact in the memory of service users. The role of the mental health nurse is ever increasing. With the focus on specialised teams, mental health nurses have become specialised in their own right, adapting and developing skills specific to their area of practice. For example, assertive outreach, home treatment, early intervention, primary care, eating disorders, mother and baby to name but a few of the specific areas a mental health nurse can work and will require an individual approach as a team and towards service users. ASICS Running GEL-Stratus 2.1 One benefit is that teams have immediate access to specialist skills, expertise and experience to provide a comprehensive and specialised package of care to that particular client group (Department of Health, 2009). The downside of this perhaps is the employability of the mental health nurse as they become more skilled in say eating disorders with a significant loss of experience in other areas.