Case Synthesis Assignment: Mental Health and Awareness Paper

Case Synthesis Assignment: Mental Health and Awareness Paper

 Mental Health and Awareness

Mental health is a state of mind characterized by the absence of anxiety or incapacitating symptoms, interpersonal issues, emotional stability, the capacity to establish positive and fruitful relationships, and the ability to cope with stressors and trauma. Mental health is just as vital as physical health for every person. Individuals have good mental health if they work constructively, can cope with life’s stresses, fulfill their capacity to act or work, and contribute to society (Fusar-Poli et al., 2020). Simply, it is the condition of having positive emotions and functioning correctly. Those with excellent mental health are less likely to have chronic diseases and depression in their lifetimes. The existence of open-mindedness in a person’s life facilitates the management of depressive symptoms. An individual with a good mental state will seek to learn new things, form new relationships, and have a less stubborn personality.

Positive mental health practices beginning in childhood are also connected with academic success, positive associations, positive adaptations, prosocial states of mind and behaviors, and healthy lifestyle habits. Whenever someone has any mental health issue, it will have a detrimental impact on their lives. Problems with mental health will have rippling consequences on a person’s family. Depending on the relationships between family members and patients, there will be varied repercussions. Individuals with mental health problem experience emotions such as anger, fear, worry, guilt, and sadness (Fusar-Poli et al., 2020). People also encounter family loss or breakups, lower self-confidence, and mistreatment or harassment by others due to changes in their behavior and personality. An individual can also grow violent about trivial matters, with the potential to cause harm to others. Healthcare workers must ensure that all client’s needs have been met and that they enjoy good health outcomes. This course teaches much about the patients, the profession and the self. Reflecting on these experiences enables one to learn to handle future circumstances better. For nurses to improve patient care, reflective practice—the ability to think critically about a situation in light of one’s values, beliefs, and methods of practice—is essential. This paper will explore ten lessons from the clinical setting about mental health and wellness, advanced psychiatric nursing, and the nurse practitioner.

1. Culture greatly influences the seeking and utilization of mental health services and the general well-being of the population

Despite various attempts to promote mental health awareness in the community, high illiteracy levels still exist. This challenges healthcare delivery by nurses, making it difficult to handle knowledge-deficit patients and relatives. During my clinical rotation, I experienced this issue a couple of times. A specific case of a mother of a child with epilepsy stood out, who will be referred to as Mark for confidentiality. Moses was diagnosed with epilepsy at seven years and has been on management since then. The family had become impatient with the conventional treatment modalities; they were convinced that the drugs did not benefit the child and opted for other means.

They took Mark out of epileptic treatment and started using traditional medicines. The mother wanted her child to recover fully and return to everyday life like other children. It was apparent that the mother had not been educated that epilepsy is a long-term illness that cannot be cured but can only be managed by medications. The mother also admitted that seeking unconventional help to manage the condition did not bear fruit. She had taken Mark back to her home country in Africa, where they carried out rituals and special traditional ceremonies for him. Unfortunately, the condition did not resolve, and the mother had to start from square one, seeking the opinion of a professional healthcare worker. At this point, it was clear that this mother and many others in the community did not understand the dynamics of mental illnesses like epilepsy. They are unaware that medication adherence is essential to control psychiatric illnesses, and lack of compliance can lead to complications.

I knew this mother required someone to understand her, avoid judging her and accord her culturally competent care. I educated her about epilepsy, its symptoms, and the complications that can result without attention. I advised her that despite seeking other interventions in line with her culture, they must strictly adhere to the medications prescribed and administered in the hospital setting. To ensure that the mother would heed my advice, I linked her to a social worker to make follow up on them in the community setting. I also ensured that I booked the mother and the child on frequent visits to the hospital so that the child’s condition could be assessed and to determine whether it was worsening or he was improving. I also encouraged the mother to join a community support group for parents living with children suffering from mental illnesses like epilepsy. For instance, the Epilepsy Foundation support group is available in most states. They carry out different social events where persons living with epilepsy can interact with one another. This intervention was done in the light that the mother would interact with other parents so that they would share with her strategies that have worked for them in managing children with this condition.

I believe that I helped this mother exhaustively, and there is not much that I would do if I came across the same case. I realized that it is essential for healthcare workers to pay a home visit to patients who are not likely to adhere to treatment to determine if they are compliant or whether other interventional measures are required to help them to continue treatment. If possible, perhaps the direct observation of therapy measures would be employed to ensure that the mother administers the medication to the child at the right time and in the proper doses; this can promote compliance. I would also advise the mother to monitor the condition after medication administration to ascertain whether conventional therapies compared to traditional medicine, are effective. It is crucial to accord this patient care while respecting her culture.

2. The transition of care is essential in the management of mental health patients with complex needs and influences the quality of care

In this case, A young boy of 10 years, whose alias will be Daniel, was brought to the psychiatric unit by his uncle after experiencing one seizure episode. On history taking, he also suffered from a sore throat that had worsened in the recent days before admission. The clinician had ordered an antiseizure medication and administration of parenteral penicillin for the sore throat. Since the history was vague because the uncle did not know much about this child, his parents were contacted and later requested the patient files from the initial physician who was managing him. Meanwhile, the drugs were administered to the patient. After administration of the drugs, the patient started to experience shortness of breath, hives, and itchy skin. These were definite signs of a drug reaction. Immediately the patient was administered an antihistamine, and the condition was monitored while we waited for the transfer of files from the family physician.

On reflection, this issue would have been averted if there had been a flawless transition of care that involved the transfer of information to other healthcare team members before assuming the responsibility of managing the patient. Had the patient files been transferred to us on admission, we would have realized that the patient is allergic to penicillin and would have considered alternative antibiotics. An adverse drug reaction, especially in children, can harm their health. The condition could have worsened without the healthcare workers’ hasty clinical judgment and decision-making.

This case taught me the importance of taking a thorough history from the patients or their relatives on admission. It is also important to inquire whether the patient has been receiving healthcare services in other institutions so that they can be contacted to give information on the patient. It is also vital to closely monitor the patient to identify any severe changes to the vital signs and general well-being that can indicate deterioration of a patient so that prompt interventional measures are undertaken to prevent complications. It is also crucial that family members have information about their sick patients at the tip of their fingertips to help enlighten the healthcare workers on the appropriate interventions to undertake. I also realized that collaboration and teamwork among healthcare workers continue even after transferring patients from one institution to another. The organization must initiate a transfer of patients to hand over patient files to the admitting institution.

Literature indicates that nurses should implement strategies that can make the transfer of patients easy. An effective transition of care ensures that the patients receive high-quality services and that their current management builds up on the previous services received from other healthcare workers (Hervé et al., 2020). If I were to be in the same situation again, I would ensure that the transfer of patient files is done promptly and that interventions that might put the patient in danger should be avoided until necessary information has been obtained. I would also ensure that the client has been listed as a high-risk client for adverse drug reactions and that all nurses and caregivers are informed before taking charge of the patient’s care. Additionally, the patient must be provided with a wristband identification to notify other healthcare workers of the possible allergy. Collaboration and consultation with other healthcare workers, such as pharmacists, are vital to ensure appropriate alternative antibiotics are chosen. I would also advise the relatives to be aware of crucial patient information like food and drug allergies that can help eliminate medication errors and adverse drug reactions, which can severely impact the patient’s health.

3. Many people are unaware of the community health resources available for persons suffering from mental illnesses: This creates a challenge in achieving quality patient outcomes and burdens the caregivers.

Caring for a patient with dementia can be pretty intimidating and challenging because it requires much effort from the caregiver and their families. During my clinical rotation, I interacted with many persons who have dementia. This condition affected their caregivers’ lives as they had to spend more time caring for their patients. In one case, a patient 67 years old, whose alias is Peter, had been escorted to the hospital by her daughter, Jane. He was a widower; Jane was his only child and caregiver. She reported that his father had become quite a nuisance at home since he would often forget where he placed things, and sometimes, they would not even remember to come back home after sneaking out for a walk. The caregiver had been fed up with this behavior, and they did not know how to handle it. I asked her whether there were additional interventions she was undertaking for his father to help with his memory loss. She reported that she was unaware of any interventions that Jane would undertake to help his father regain his memory and that she only depended on the services at the hospital. Clearly, she had no idea of community resources for persons with dementia. However, she was not the only one, as I had encountered three other caregivers who did not have this information.

I had to talk her down and agreed that patients with dementia could be quite tricky to manage sometimes. However, management can be easy by utilizing available resources in the community. I educated her on the different resources available in the community for patients with this condition, such as the dementia support groups, the National Alliance for caregiving, and the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 helpline.

Dementia can sometimes make caregivers feel alone and lost because no one empathizes with what they are going through because they have never handled these patients. They cause various emotions, such as frustration, anger, anxiety, and despair. It may also be challenging to balance caring for these patients and other responsibilities, such as caring for a family. I also informed her that most of these resources are available in the community for dementia patients free of charge. I asked her to sign up for a dementia support group in the community to connect with other caregivers going through the same situation and share her experiences so that she would not feel alone. Evidence suggests that support groups can be good sources of advice for persons dealing with specific problems (Ross et al., 2022). The Alzheimer’s Association lists the database of support groups that make it easier for these caregivers who want to connect to find a support group in their local area.

She was skeptical that she would not find time to attend these support groups. I alleviated her concerns by informing her that there were online interactions for the caregivers who did not have the ability or time to participate in these meetings in person. With my help, we identified the Caregiver Nation, an online support community available for persons caring for patients with dementia, as the most appropriate option that would work for her. Similarly, I advised her to do an online search for organizations that are donating free memory aid tools to patients with dementia so that she would secure them and help her father to utilize them in an attempt to improve his memory.

On their next visit to the hospital, the caregiver was thankful for the information I had previously given her. She informed me that caring for his father had become a little easier because she had obtained helpful information from these support groups that she later incorporated into the care. Community resources for persons with long-term mental illnesses are available. However, they are not utilized because these caregivers and patients do not have adequate information about their existence and how they can use them to their advantage. Apart from medical management of patients during hospitalization and visits to the clinic, the healthcare givers should enlighten their clients about the available community resources that can be utilized to make their life easier.

4. Empathy is an essential component in patient care: It can help patients to speak up even when they do not find the courage

When caring for patients, especially those with mental illnesses, it is crucial to take a holistic approach considering their physical, mental, and emotional needs. I learned that healthcare givers should actively listen to their patients and empathize with them. Most of these patients do not have someone they can trust to share their feelings or concerns because they feel insecure that this information can be shared with others.

I handled the care of a 35-year-old single woman, alias Whitney who had divorced her husband and was caring for two daughters alone. This divorce was unexpected and has since thrown her into depression. On admission, she had been on treatment for three months. Physical examination revealed that the client had some marks on the wrists that seemed to have been caused by knife cuts. On interrogation, the patient said it was a knife accident at home, and concern was unnecessary since it had healed. The patient denied any attempts of suicide. At this point, I was curious that the patient was hiding some vital information from us. It is disturbingly frequent for people who have suicidal thoughts, who have attempted suicide, and who have died by suicide to deny that they had such ideas (Obegi, 2021). Results corroborate clinical consensus that SI denial alone is an insufficient predictor of suicide attempts.

At this point, I realized that I was dealing with a sensitive patient and that employing effective communication skills and empathy was vital. I had to put myself in the client’s shoes and see things from her perspective on what she was experiencing. I had to ensure that I built a good rapport with the client by being forthright with them about how much experience I had working as a mental health professional. I encouraged her to share with me her concerns and issues so that I would help to resolve them using this wealth of experience. I also employed self-disclosure with her by telling her how sometimes I had undergone stress and was short of alternatives and what strategies I used to overcome these challenges. I also ensured that I did not interrupt the client while she spoke with me and tried to inquire about as much information as possible, showing that I was genuinely interested in her condition.

On this visit, the patient confided in me that she had suicidal ideations and wanted to commit suicide. The only hindrance that had held her from killing herself was that she worried about the life of her kids. I realized she would detail how she had planned suicide several times. This information was sensitive, and she was likely not to share it with someone else unless they employed empathy by showing her that they understood what she was going through and that if she sought help, she would recover. She was glad she met me on that particular day because she reported that most healthcare workers had not given her as much attention as I did.

Building trust between the nurse and the patient requires much effort. Employing simple gestures such as smiling and nodding at the client while they are speaking to you and showing them that you are genuinely interested in them can help to build a good rapport (Blake & Blake, 2019). Using body language, such as sitting close to your patient while speaking to them, can help communicate empathy. Research showed that whenever healthcare workers sit down with the patient, they reported spending more time with their doctor than they did (Afriyie, 2020). Showing empathy towards patients can help create a great environment that fosters communication with the healthcare givers (Afriyie, 2020). They are likely to give out crucial information if they believe that the healthcare givers are not judging them and that it will be kept confidential.

Despite the issue of confidentiality of patient information, nurses must make an ethical clinical judgment if disclosure of the information is required to other health caregivers, especially if the patient’s life is at risk or if there are actions that might put others at risk (Kahn, 2020). I had to report this information to other healthcare givers and physicians so that the client would be enlisted as a high-risk patient for suicide. This would also help the social workers make a follow-up at home to ensure that the children are safe and that social services can take them and care for them while their mother receives help. I believe I acted in the patient’s best interest by ensuring she received essential support to take control of her life and care for her children. In the future, if I encounter a dilemma involving disclosing the patient’s information and violating their wishes, I will ensure that all decisions benefit the patient’s health outcomes.

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5. Accountability in mental health nursing can help enhance the quality of patient care and build a good reputation in nursing.

During the initial periods of my clinical rotation, I was prone to making mistakes since I was new to the mental health ward. Though I did not commit any reportable severe incident, some of these mistakes would have put my clients at high risk of developing minor to severe complications. Apart from experiencing an adverse drug reaction, I also experienced an incident of a medication error. The patient, in this case, will be referred to by the pseudonym Meghan.

On admission, Meghan had reported to the physician that the last time she received medication intravenously, she had experienced a minor allergic reaction. On review, the physician suggested administering the drug over a slow IV for two hours. Instead of inputting the correct two hours, I set the IV pump to 30 minutes. This was an error due to the illegible handwriting of the physician. The patient experienced a minor allergic reaction, later managed by the nurses who had taken over the shift. Even though this was a minor event, I was responsible for this medication error and was obligated to report it to the clinical supervisor despite the consequences. Medication error matters in the hospital are taken seriously, with disciplinary actions. Despite this, I felt that I was responsible for owning my act.

I filed a report on the medication error I had committed and was ready to bear the consequences. My supervisor was grateful for this effort and encouraged all the other healthcare professionals in the ward to report mistakes committed despite the consequences so that appropriate interventions could be undertaken to prevent worsening patient status. She also informed me that the nursing environment is blame-free so that people can come forward and reports any errors or near misses without fearing getting punished or reprimanded. The impression was that creating a blame-free environment encourages people to collaborate across different departments in resolving patient safety problems without blaming a single person but rather as an indicator that they need to improve in the future (Afaya et al., 2021).

The principle of accountability calls for all nurses to be answerable to themselves and others for their interventions. Accountability has been shown to increase the quality of patient care, enhance the application of evidence-based practices, and boost overall clinical learning. The American Nurses Association (ANA) outlines that despite the directives and policies of healthcare organizations, nurses are still accountable for all the decisions and actions undertaken in their practice.

I realized that being accountable when you have committed an error and reporting it to the authority in time and to the patients can positively influence the health outcomes and ensure that trusting relationships are forged between the other healthcare professionals and the patient. The department’s senior nurses are also encouraged as accountable nurses are likely to succeed in their careers, and that integrity is a prerequisite to accountability. When you take personal responsibility and own up to your actions, patients and other team members will likely perceive you as reliable and can depend on you in whatever circumstance.

I have also learned that nurses should accept instructions or corrections from their supervisors when they commit mistakes. People prefer to be complimented for their accomplishments but find it hard to get punishment. In the future, if I were in the same situation, I would ensure that I am willing to listen to other, more experienced healthcare professionals and learn from them on pertinent issues concerning patient care. I will also ensure that I do not feel embarrassed for being corrected and will try to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated. To prevent other feature medication errors, I will confirm prescription orders with other healthcare workers during the shift to ensure that they are correct and the resulting interventions do not lead to any mistakes. It is also essential to be conversant with the scope and standards of nursing practice to ensure that the care provided to the patients is of high quality and promotes patient safety.

6. Stigma is greatly responsible for the disparities of mental health issues evident in marginalized communities

During the clinical rotation, I cared for a child 12 years old whose alias name will be Fatuma. She was from an African American, living in a suburb with her mother and 7 other siblings. They had experienced a fire disaster at their home, and his father and one other sibling had died due to excessive ingestion of smoke. She had since developed PTSD and would exhibit anxiety, hallucinations, and experiencing nightmares. Her behavior had been bizarre lately, affecting her social and academic life. Her mother was worried about her condition and wanted to do anything to help her daughter to lead an everyday life. She was brought to the hospital for counseling and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). I noticed that she would skip some appointments. She had missed two appointments in succession, which made me curious about what was happening. I inquired from the mother as to why Fatuma was missing her appointments.

The mother confided in me that she feared the other neighbors finding out that her daughter was seeking medical attention. Coming from an African American culture with diverse beliefs about mental health made it challenging for Fatuma to seek quality health care to help her control her condition. Some of the neighbors and her peers had called her a mad person, an outcast who should not be allowed in society. When she had a nightmare and hallucination, she screamed so loudly in her sleep that the other neighbors had to wake in the dead of night to find out what was amiss. The family’s life has not been the same ever since; they are stigmatized and marginalized from the other community members. This has resulted in immense tension among the family members, leading the other siblings to blame Fatuma for the trouble she had caused them.

This case was very sensitive; the mother and child seemed traumatized. My initial intervention was calming the mother down and assuring her that Fatuma was not mad and an outcast. She had a mental illness that would be managed through adherence to her therapy. I was convinced that if the problem continued at home, Fatuma would not receive the quality of care she deserved. It was essential to keep in touch with the mother and remind her to come for the clinical visits whenever they were due. Healthcare workers can provide a shoulder to lean on for their needy clients. At this point, Fatuma and her mother needed someone to show them that they cared for them and were not alone.

This experience made me reflect on how I would have handled the situation better. The other family members needed some counseling and education about her condition. Since they were also present during the tragic fire incident, they would have been traumatized even though they did not develop signs of PTSD. They still need assessment to ascertain that they are not undergoing depression from the event and the discrimination they face, as these can harm their health and threaten harmony in the family.

Those stigmatized face social rejection through disapproval from friends, family, and strangers. Adverse physical and mental health consequences are also linked to perceived discrimination and prejudice (Copeland, 2021). For young individuals struggling with mental health issues, the stigma they encounter may be compounded by the attitudes of their peers. Whether their membership in a stigmatized group is visible to others, those who believe they are a part of one can suffer emotional discomfort and develop a negative self-image (Copeland, 2021). One’s sense of self-worth, as well as their ability to learn and succeed in school, may take a hit as a result of being stigmatized.

Stigmas against those struggling with mental health can stem from a lack of knowledge or fear. This combination may result from an unfavorable stereotype about people with mental health problems. The stigmatization of someone with mental illness is complex; it cannot be reduced to a single sentiment. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), three distinct stigmas exist. In the first category, public stigma, there are stigmatizing views from the general population toward those with a mental illness. The second type of stigma is self-stigma, which refers to the stigmatizing beliefs and behaviors that mentally ill people hold about themselves. Institutional stigma is the third category. As a result of this persistent stigma, both public and private organizations are cutting back on resources dedicated to understanding and treating mental health conditions.

I advised the clients that despite facing stigma from the community, they still needed to seek medical attention, as shying away from healthcare puts the health of Fatuma at significant risk. Ensuring that healthcare workers maintain the confidentiality of the clients seeking healthcare at the hospitals can help decrease stigma. Health education of the public on the adverse consequences of stigma can also help to create solutions to the problem.

7. Society is partly responsible for many preventable addiction and mental health issues observed.

In another case, I handled the care of a child of 41 years old male whose name alias name is Julius. He was suffering from narcotics addiction and was in the rehabilitation clinic. He had been abusing drugs since he was 14 years. He informed me that it started from watching his father abuse drugs in his presence. The homestead experienced domestic violence every other day, with Julius as the primary victim. He would also leave the drugs in the house, where Julius would easily access and try them out. Little did he know that the addiction would kick in. He hid the behavior from his parents, who were unaware of it for quite some time. The parents were always busy with their jobs and did not pay attention to him. His grades would later start worsening at school, and he eventually dropout and continued with his drug abuse habits. His parents had forced him into a rehabilitation center to help him control his problem, yet his father, a chronic addict, had not sought help from a rehabilitation center. Attending a rehabilitation center did not help with his addiction; he continued abusing the drugs after discharge. Julius largely blames his parents for his addiction problems, and he has never had closure with them, as they do not regard him as their son.

In another case, a 51-year-old woman, Jane, with depression, narrated the root cause of her condition to me. She was an accountant who was busy with work all the time. She had a young daughter aged 14 years, Anne. An older male cousin, 21 years was living with them. After coming from work tired, she would not give much attention to her daughter. Anne would spend most of her time locked in her room, had developed problems with eating, and was having trouble with her schoolwork. Jane had thought that adolescents are prone to behave this way and that it was not alarming. One day she was called from work and informed that her daughter had committed suicide because she had suffered from depression. The suicidal note she had left behind stated that her cousin had repetitively abused her sexually and that she was helpless, she had tried to seek help from her mother, but she never paid attention. Jane blames herself daily for not giving attention to her daughter, which would have helped save her life. She has fallen into depression and drug abuse because of this.

On reflection, these cases showed that we as a society are responsible for creating addiction and mental health issues. Children are prone to developing addictions to drugs, especially when they observe their mentors and seniors performing the habits. Julius developed an addiction to smoking by watching his father smoke and trying it himself to experience it firsthand. This led him to get addicted to other drugs in the long run. We tend to label addicts as horrible people who continually make poor decisions. Because of this, we penalize individuals who have experienced trauma and, in many cases, failed to get therapy for their trauma by locking them up in rehabilitation centers. This perpetuates feelings of guilt, which in turn exacerbates the trauma. Because of this stigma, the patient may also be less inclined to seek treatment.

Julius and Anne needed counseling to help them control their lives. I advised them to seek closure to get over the issues that had been burdening them. I encouraged them to build on their positive attributes and regain self-esteem, which is crucial to help with rehabilitation. Even though they were addicted to drugs, they still had good personalities despite making poor decisions. It is typical for someone like them to be discriminated against and face rejection from even the closest family members. They needed to stay confident and focus on their treatment, as their health and well-being deserve top priority.

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Even though these tragic and traumatizing events occurred in the past, they must be resolved so the victims can lead normal lives. The counseling should continue until the person fully recovers and regains control of their life. It is essential to employ care coordination to help patients like Julius and Jane to adhere to treatment. I would link them to a social worker to check on them in the community to ascertain how they are faring.

A child’s physical growth can be stunted if they endure trauma. Their immunological and central nervous systems may not develop as well as they should because of the stress, making reaching their full potential more challenging (Downey & Crummy, 2021). Isolation is a possible outcome for children who are exposed to complicated trauma. Dissociation occurs when a person mentally disengages from a traumatic event. They can forget what happened and end up with memory gaps, or they might envision leaving their body and observing it from a different place. A kid’s mental and physical well-being depends on the quality of their relationships with their guardians, whether they be their parents, grandparents, or other relatives or persons outside the family (Downey & Crummy, 2021).

Children’s secure attachment to their caretakers promotes socialization, emotional regulation, and prosocial behavior. Yet, when a child suffers a traumatic event that shows them they can not rely on that caretaker, they may develop a heightened fear and distrust of others. The difficulties relating to others will persist throughout their lives. Adult romantic relationships are another area where children who have experienced trauma tend to struggle. The effects of trauma experienced as a child can often be far-reaching, affecting not only one’s physical and mental health but also interpersonal interactions. Research has linked early adversity to a lifetime of criminal behavior, with offenders often committing more severe and violent crimes by age 35 (Troisi, 2020).

Julius was so optimistic about the rehabilitation that he joined Alcohol Anonymous and other support groups in the community. He advocates for drug users and often attends conferences on drug abuse and addiction in his community. He has also been vocal in advocating healthcare for persons who suffered trauma in childhood, encouraging them to come forward and seek treatment. I will lobby for more community awareness about drug abuse and the stigma surrounding drug addicts. It is also essential to encourage parents in the community to pay more attention to their children, as they are likely to be undergoing stressful issues that, if not addressed, can culminate into severe life-threatening complications. Even though they may be busy with work and providing for their families, they should set aside time with their families.

8. Multidisciplinary teams in the care of patients are and will remain an essential factor in achieving high-quality mental health care.

James, a 52-year-old office worker, was the subject of this inquiry. He had lived independently for two years, although his daughter attended a local university and lived with him during the school break. His doctor suggested visiting the clinic after learning about his ongoing memory problems for the past year. The healthcare workers decided he needed to spend four weeks in the clinic for evaluation and therapy. An assessment revealed that he was disoriented, had difficulties with memory, and had a short attention span. He was suffering from depression.

It was necessary to plan a multidisciplinary team meeting to discuss the medical attention he needed to feel safe in his home. My role as facilitator was to bring up James’s medical history and his and his daughter’s difficulties. The patient’s condition rendered him incapable of making decisions for himself. Hence a third party had to help decide the best interventions for him. His daughter was unreliable in caring for her father because she did not spend much time with him. The medical staff was at a loss regarding how to encourage the patient to take his medications regularly and use community resources to address his illness. His admission to a nursing home would require him to get care in an unfamiliar setting. Like before, he had no other living relations, so if he were discharged and sent home, he would be entirely alone. For this reason, we had no choice but to have him admitted to the hospital while we sought other possibilities.

To determine what measures may be taken to improve James’ condition, I called on an MDT meeting. The term “multidisciplinary team” describes a group of specialists who have different areas of expertise and work for various organizations but routinely get together to plan how they will best meet the needs of the people they serve (Noonan & Gaumer Erickson, 2019). Psychiatrists, mental health counselors, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers were integral to the team. The involvement of a multidisciplinary team is crucial in mental health nursing because individuals with mental health difficulties have complex demands that call for a wide range of expertise to meet. Professionals from different fields can better understand each patient’s situation by working together (Noonan & Gaumer Erickson, 2019). While working together, they use a well-rounded approach when treating patients to meet their unique needs.

According to his daughter, James was caught wandering around at inconvenient times, skipping meals, and forgetting to turn off the gas burners in the kitchen. The daughter was worried about her dad’s well-being. Given his challenges, the occupational therapist recommended that she visit her father’s home to check his safety whenever possible. The social worker suggested reviewing the situation with the daughter so that she could make sure her dad takes his medicine on time and stays home until the carers arrive. An aide will be hired to look after James while his daughter is away. It is crucial to check in with a patient like James at home to determine if the interventions are working or need modification.

By definition, healthcare is a team effort requiring close collaboration and coordination between a wide range of specialists in the field. Effective multidisciplinary healthcare teams consider all relevant factors while evaluating and diagnosing conditions to provide the best care possible for their patients (Sires et al., 2023). As a team, you might also develop and disseminate programs to improve the health of underserved communities and instruct people on how to take preventative measures against illness.

Medical errors are reduced, and patient safety is improved when healthcare workers work together. Cooperation has also been shown to mitigate the stress and isolation that can contribute to burnout in the field. Health teams that incorporate social workers, occupational therapists, and other specialty areas help decentralize the power and authority of healthcare organizations. It gives healthcare professionals more autonomy and results in greater fulfillment at work.

9. Adoption of habits that improve our well-being can help to promote recuperation from mental illnesses

I had overseen the care of a 41-year-old woman, whose alias name will be Maria. She had suffered from depression for a long time because she could not bear children, and all her relationships had ended suddenly. All her partners wanted her to give birth to children, and when she could not, things would heat up, and they would break up. This had happened to her multiple times, and she had lost hope. She saw herself as useless and had low self-esteem. She had been on treatment for depression for over three years, and things had not resolved for her.

On this particular visit, I had a long appointment with her, reviewed her history, and determined whether something different could be done. She was very compliant with medication and never missed any scheduled hospital visits. She was referred to the unit after her doctor noted that she was not improving. She had even tried to commit suicide more than twice. This patient required a comprehensive counseling session that involved identifying new solutions that would help her improve. I asked her, apart from medications, whether she was using other coping strategies to manage her condition. She admitted that she had separated herself from her family and friends. Seeing them enjoy life with their children, she was gutted that that dream for her was impossible.

I suggested that if medications had not helped her resolve depression, she needed to add other non-therapeutic techniques alongside the treatment. Some suggestions included owning a pet like a dog, engaging in yoga, eating a healthy balanced diet, mindfulness, and listening to her favorite music. Despite being a big fan, she revealed that she had a vast collection of jazz records inherited from her parents and had not played them for a long time. Similarly, on mentioning owning a pet, her face glittered as she remembered how her parents had brought joy to life when they bought her a dog when she was little. I also advised her to be frank with her partners about her inability to give birth to children whenever she entered a relationship.

Honesty and transparency are two critical pillars of a strong relationship; their employment can help Maria save much time. They encourage people to be welcoming, non-judgmental, and compassionate. Additionally, they lessen the chances of misunderstandings occurring in a couple’s relationship. When partners work to build an atmosphere of trust and positive, non-judgmental regard for one another, it brings about a profound feeling of safety and security. Therefore, they can form close emotional bonds with one another. Maria needs to enter into relationships with partners willing to accept her for who she is. When a partner is conversant with one’s situation, they are well prepared to enter into a long-term relationship with them. They can avoid disappointments later when some crucial details emerge.

Maria was linked with a social worker to check up on her in the community. Maria reported joining a local yoga club and buying herself a pet dog. She had seen tremendous change in her life, and her depression was under control. Maria was now listening to her collection of jazz music again and had met some friends from an online jazz group. She admitted that with these new interventions, her purpose in life had become clear again, her confidence had arisen, and she was accepting challenging things to come to accept. She had also found a partner willing to take her for who she was.

The major takeaway from Maria’s case is that pharmacotherapeutic interventions alone cannot tackle all mental health problems. The application of non-therapeutic interventions that promote wellness can also help. Patients who apply both therapeutic and non-therapeutic measures in managing mental illnesses like depression have been shown to have a high rate of improvement (Gerogianni et al., 2018). Therefore, while treating moderate to severe depression, it is crucial to consider both antidepressant medication and non-pharmacological approaches. It is essential to utilize a collaborative approach to decision-making when selecting a non-pharmaceutical treatment option, considering the patient’s values, preferences, and the clinical and social setting.

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10. Mental health is a spectrum, and we are all somewhere on it, from optimal to abnormal functioning.

No one is immune to developing a mental illness. Besides genetic predisposition, extrinsic factors make us prone to these illnesses. The ultimate result depends on how well everyone handles these external factors to decrease the risk of developing mental illnesses. Despite knowing about it, all healthcare workers are prone to developing the same diseases they treat. Some conditions are preventable only if one takes action to decrease the risk of developing them.

I had read online about the addiction to drugs used in treating mental illnesses among healthcare workers, but I had never encountered such a case in the hospital setting. A colleague at the workplace, whose pseudonym is Peter, had developed a self-medication problem that no one knew about. He had been behaving differently in the workplace. He would often commit medication errors and near misses, but he had not committed a significant mistake that would raise suspicion. During his shift, the number of the antidepressant drugs administered and the remaining would often mismatch.

One of the colleagues working on a shift with him noted a gross deviation in the number of drugs they administered during that shift and what remained. She became suspicious of these events and reported to the ward supervisor. Acting secretly, the manager inquired into the matter and ascertained that someone was making away with these drugs. Random checks were performed, and Peter was determined to be the culprit. While interviewing him about why he abused these drugs, he admitted facing mental health issues and would only feel better after self-medication.

This was a serious issue that needed special attention. He was counselled and commenced the management of this addiction. He was cooperative in engaging in the plan of care to help him resolve the depression he was facing. A meeting of all staff members was summoned, and mental health education was done. We were all advised to come forward and present our concerns whenever we were facing challenges that could lead to the development of mental illnesses, as there were enough resources to deal with these matters.

I was stunned to learn of this case. Peter looked normal, but deep down, he was breaking down. Had he sought help early, he would have avoided this situation. People have different coping mechanisms, and we cannot blame them. Adopting suitable coping mechanisms and seeking help when facing mental health challenges should be championed. As health workers, we must also spend time with our families, rest, and recharge. Feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation make it hard to perform the actions that would improve your demeanor while depressed. Even considering the actions you may take to improve your mood, such as going for a walk or seeing a friend, can be overwhelming. All people should purpose to take action to protect their mental health while they can before it is too late.

When healthcare professionals are battling mental issues, they frequently devote all of their attention to their patients. As a result, individuals closest to them in their personal lives and relatives are the ones who are most frequently aware of their challenges. If a healthcare worker’s loved ones see a change in their spouse’s or loved one’s behavior, they should inquire about their well-being and suggest that the person get help from a private or confidential support provider. We all understand that when those in the healthcare industry are feeling down on the job, the last people they would like to talk to are their superiors, but when they are willing to speak, their peers are the ones they turn to the most. Despite this, there are embedded expectations that healthcare workers must constantly control their emotions. That can be a significant obstacle to struggling professionals who want to open out to their colleagues. Frequent conferences and professional networking groups where the workers check on one another are essential for healthcare facilities and systems to promote their mental health. When problems develop, having such a community already in place relieves anxious individuals of the responsibility of finding or establishing such a platform. Furthermore, all healthcare providers must cultivate a work environment that promotes openness, aid-seeking, and mutual support among staff.

Conclusion

Raising public consciousness about mental health has far-reaching benefits beyond simply aiding the fight against discrimination. Anxiety, sadness, and other diseases that impair one’s mental health might be difficult to spot in individuals around you, but a deeper understanding of mental illness can help. This may even involve the individual coming to terms with their psychological issues. In addition, a more concerted effort to advocate for mental health could result from raising awareness. Promoting a better understanding of mental health and eliminating mental health stigmas is a top priority for organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and events like Mental Health Awareness Month.

References

Afaya, A., Konlan, D., & Kim Do, H. (2021). Improving patient safety through identifying barriers to reporting medication administration errors among nurses: an integrative review. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07187-5

Afriyie, D. (2020). Effective communication between nurses and patients: An evolutionary concept analysis. British Journal of Community Nursing, 25(9), 438–445. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.9.438

Blake, T., & Blake, T. (2019). Improving Therapeutic Communication in Nursing Through Simulation Exercise. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 14(4), 260–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2019.06.003

Copeland, D. (2021). Stigmatization in nursing: Theoretical pathways and implications. Nursing Inquiry. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12438

Downey, C., & Crummy, A. (2021). The impact of childhood trauma on children’s wellbeing and adult behavior. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 6(1), 100237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2021.100237

Fusar-Poli, P., Salazar de Pablo, G., De Micheli, A., Nieman, H., Arango, C., & van Amelsvoort, T. (2020). What is good mental health? A scoping review. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 31(31), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.12.105

Gerogianni, G., Babatsikou, F., Polikandrioti, M., & Grapsa, E. (2018). Management of anxiety and depression in haemodialysis patients: The role of non-pharmacological methods. International Urology and Nephrology, 51(1), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-2022-7

Hervé, W., Zucatti, B., & Lima, S. (2020). Transition of care at discharge from the intensive care unit: a scoping review. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 28. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.4008.3325

Kahn, H. (2020). Confidentiality and capacity. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 38(2), 283–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2020.01.003

Noonan, M., & Gaumer Erickson, S. (2019). Multidisciplinary teams. Handbook of Intellectual Disabilities, 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20843-1_11

Obegi, JH. (2021). How common is recent denial of suicidal ideation among ideators, attempters, and suicide decedents? A literature review. General Hospital Psychiatry, 72, 92–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.07.009

Ross, E., Colbath, A., Yu, J., Munabi, N., Gillenwater, J., & Yenikomshian, A. (2022). Peer support groups: Identifying disparities to improve participation. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 43(5), 1019–1023. https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irac086

Sires, D., Pham, K., & Wilson, J. (2023). the impact of a dedicated multidisciplinary team approach for prosthetic joint infections of the lower limb. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-023-00842-5

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Spring 2023 Final paper
Case Synthesis Paper Assignment: 210 Points
Assignment Steps To complete this assignment:
1. Review the criteria for this paper.
2. Review cases you have logged during your clinical experience to date.
3. Reflect on the case you have logged and determine ten lessons learned about mental health and wellness, and advanced practice psychiatric and mental health nursing as a nurse practitioner.
4. Write a comprehensive paper describing the ten lessons you have learned and use examples from your seen cases to illustrate these ten lessons.
5. Tell the story of what you feel is important. Use patient aliases, not their real names.
Use the following outline:
a. Introduction.
b. Ten Lessons you have learned about mental health and wellness, and advanced practice psychiatric nursing drawn from your experiences with patients in your clinical internship.
i. Use cases you have encountered to illustrate the context of how you learned this lesson and what you would have done differently, if anything.
ii. For example, you might have learned that working with parents of children with psychiatric diagnoses is challenging because most do not understand mental illness. And then describe some of your cases where this became obvious to you and how you handled it or would have handled it knowing what you know now.
c. Summary.
d. Conclusions.
e. References.
. Cite references as appropriate to express an understanding of the literature or guidelines associated with the ten lessons learned.
8. Use APA 7th edition formatting.
Assignment Evaluation:
The following rubric will be used to grade the assignment:
Criteria Points
1. Introduction section included and appropriate to assignment 10 points
2. Paper addresses an appropriate number of lessons (10 lessons) learned 10 points
3. Ten Lessons are drawn from synthesizing cases experienced in clinicals 50 points
4. Cases from clinicals illustrate 10 lessons learned 50 points
5. Cases use aliases and not patient names 5 points
6. Conclusions are drawn from the 10 lessons learned 30 points
7. Paper tells a story about your experience in clinicals 20 points
8. Paper is organized with a beginning, middle, and end 20 points
9. Paper is formatted using APA 7th edition 5 points
10. Citations and references conform to APA 7th edition 5 points
11. Writing includes commonly accepted spelling and grammar 5 points Total 210 points

NOTE : Please use peer review journals, text books for references and cite appropriate Avoid any form of plagiarism.