Since World War II, the need for trained psychiatric nurses increased greatly (Kreigh & Perko, 1983). Today we see a new increase in the need for high quality, effective mental health care with the introduction of the war in Iraq and disasters like Hurricane Katrina. As troops return from Iraq, nurses have an important role in the treatment of their emotional stability. Likewise, the role of nurses in a health care team that deals with the mental health of people like the victims of Hurricane Katrina is pivotal. They play an important role in the relationship between the patient and the health care system (Fischer & Reiss, 2006).
United Nurses (Noanie.com, 2008)
For example, as men and women return from the Iraq warfront, they experience recurring visions of bombings, shootings, and attacks due to post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus, their emotional status becomes an issue that needs to be addressed. Combat-linked trauma has existed as long as humans have made war. This is evident in the suffering of veterans from past wars including the Vietnam War and World Wars I and II (Fischer & Reiss, 2006). However, with new medical improvements since these past wars, more troops are surviving and are able to return home. Though higher survival rates indicate medical progress, it means more troops are returning home with increased needs regarding their mental health. According to Levin-Epstein (2005, p.1), “US troops serving in Iraq…are being screened for mental health problems in record numbers. For the first time, soldiers are being evaluated for behavioral health issues on a formal basis—before, during and after venturing into war zones”. Mental health nurses play a vital role in providing this new form of healthcare to our nations' troops (Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, 2007)
Red Cross Nurses (Red Cross Dallas, 2006)
In the case of Hurricane Katrina, people were not only traumatized by the disaster itself but also by their displacement from their home life and families. Recuperation was harder because people could not be reunited with their families and traditions; their lives were torn apart (Frieden, 2005). At the time a disaster hits, it is impossible for health professionals to predict who will need mental health care or who will be prone to post traumatic stress disorder later on. Initially it may be most important to make sure that everybody has food and shelter. However, mental health issues may be undetectable until years later, at which time the increase in the need for mental health treatment of these victims becomes evident. A study from UC San Diego states that:
New research shows that four out of five mental health and addiction providers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge are seeing a marked increase in major depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction disorders two years after the region was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. About half of providers say they are personally experiencing burnout as they struggle to deal with the increased workload and their own challenges living and working in the area (Healthcare Financial Management Association, 2007, p.1).
Nurses in the profession must continue to provide the mental health care needed to overcome the distress that Hurricane Katrina caused.
Mental health nursing is a very tough job in which one must deal with the emotional struggles of others, which can be very taxing (Kreigh & Perko, 1983). In this field, nurses constantly experience budget cuts and are affected by the nursing shortage, which further complicates their job. Mental health nurses do not have adequate access to the resources they need, especially when contrasted with the tools provided for nurses in more established fields (Horsfall & Stuhlmiller, 2001). Being a mental health nurse therefore takes determination.
Nurses Make a Team (Gavilan, 2006)
Mental health nurses need to consider their own mental health. They must manage their own anxiety in difficult situations so that they do not seem weak or incapable to the patient, which could compromise the patient’s trust. Comforting the patient requires impeccable communication (Myers, 2007). Mental health nurses in the field must be great listeners, keep their moral views aside, and remain objective when they are giving advice to a patient on how to proceed with their treatment and concerns. Their goal is not to rescue the patient; they cannot come in and take over because that would eliminate patient autonomy. The role of the nurse is to give the patient tools to become self-sufficient and confident in their progress of healing wounds caused by traumatic experiences (Horsfall and Stuhlmiller, 2001).
The nurses in the mental health field have a duty to maintain the integrity of the patient and the profession as a whole. Mental health nurses deal with difficult political and social issues that face our society. Their commitment to the field results in great progress and respect for mental health and has improved treatment methods for mental health consumers (Halter, 2008).
HOMEPAGE ON OTHER ROLES OF NURSES
References
Fischer, C., & Reiss, D. (2006). The Battle at Home. Registered Nurse, 24, 14-21.
Frieden, J. (2005) Katrina survivors swept into uncharted emotions. Family Practice News, 35(21), 72.
Halter, M. (2008). Perceived Characteristics of Psychiatric Nurses: Stigma by Association. Archives of Phyciatric Nursing Journal, 20-26.
Horsfall, J. & Stuhlmiller, C. (2001). Interpersonal Nursing for Mental Health. New York, New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Kreigh, H. & Perko, J. (1983). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: A commitment to care and concern, second edition. Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing.
Levin-Epstein, M. (2005). Screening soldiers for MH issues—before, during, and after: federal agencies get proactive; demand may require more resources. Behavioral Healthcare Tomorrow, 14(6), 8-13.
Healthcare Financial Management. (2007). Mental health providers in New Orleans area face soaring caseloads, burnout two years after Hurricane Katrina. Healthcare Financial Management Journal, 61(10), 12.
Myers, D. (2007). Psychology, Eighth Edition in Modules. Holland, Michigan: Worth Publishers.
Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow (2007). “Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse.” Retrieved January 20, 2008, from http://www.nursesource.org/psychiatric.html.