Mental Health Nursing for Bipolar Patient

Question: Discuss about the Mental Health Nursing for Bipolar Patient. Answer: Mood swings is one of the major symptoms of bipolar. It mainly involves rapid change of moods and at extreme causing depression. Moods is usually marked y extreme change in mood swings, behavior and energy (Clarke, Walsh,2009). In most cases, this is commonly referred to as bipolar as the patient moods can rapidly alternate between the poles of depression and mania. This change in mood can last for hours, days or even months at extreme conditions (Morrissey, Callaghan,2011). From the case study, we are told that when interviewed, her mood becomes elevated and labile. We are told that Ellen has periods of increased irritability. Thought of content usually describes what a bipolar patient is thinking about or what the patient is obsessed with. It includes the presence or the absence of delusions homicidal and suicidal ideas and also obsession thinking (Downes, 2008). The patient may also become commanding and its import and to understand what the patient can do in response to these demanding hallucinations. Its also important to determine if the patient gets special information from the television. In our case, we are told that Ellen refuses to get out of the club. She also spend huge amount of her money on cigarettes, brandy and items that are advertised on TV shopping channel. Thought form can be defined as the thought process being experienced by a bipolar patient. This can be based on the relevance of the patience conversation, flight of ideas and thoughts, tangential and extreme irrelevance. In establishing thought from, it is important to note if the patient is deviating from the topic of discussion and also inquire if the patient knows about the date (Clarke, Walsh,2009). In our case study, we are told that Ellen is experiencing flights in ideas as her thoughts keeps shifting from topic to topic. Ellen does not have the sense of time and date. These are clear indications of mental disorder. Insight is the asses to whether the patient is suffering. To assess this, the patient may be asked if she needs help or whether they feel that the conditions they are in are normal. The character exhibited by the patient towards the medical practitioners is also important in establishment of this disorder (Lippincott, Wilkins, 2006). Ellen has portrayed all the above symptoms. She seems to be over familiar towards the male staff in the clinic. She denies to be suffering from any sort of perpetual disturbances. The assessment conducted on her also indicates limited insight to her illness as she states there is nothing wrong with me Some of the risk factors associated with mental disorder include; the biological risk factors. Evidence has proved that there is a great genetic association between genetics and mental disorder especially Alzheimer disease (AD). It has been proved that ad can take different forms but it is not in all cases that AD can be merited (Downes, 2008). The second risk factor is the psychosocial and other protective factors. These factors include; smoking. Studies have established a very close relationship between smoking and mental disorder. The nicotine found in tobacco is an active agent that binds the acetylcholine receptors (Lippincott, Wilkins, 2006). Environmental triggers are also a risk factor that is associated with mental disorder. The environmental toxins and viruses have been proved to be a major factor that causes the AD (Varcarolis, Halter, Varcarolis, 2010). Despite this, the evidence of these hypotheses has not been strongly established but it is evident that aggressive env ironmental conditions are a major risk factor to AD (Clarke, Walsh, 2009). The nursing priorities taken in mental disorder involves a five part decision making procedure. These procedures are used in patient identification and treatment. They include; assessment, planning, diagnosis evaluation and intervention (Morrissey, Callaghan, 2011). This process requires interaction and collaboration between a team of professionals, the society, the family and the patient so as to ease and improve the quality of treatment. Assessment: This is considered to be the first step in offering care. It involves data collection regarding the patient through assessment interviews and telecommunications. The interview is usually modified to match the circumstances faced by the patient and also the patients cognitive ability (Morrissey, Callaghan, 2011). Interview: This is mainly doe in order to assess the physical and the mental status of the patient at this stage, there is advanced data collection from both the patient and the family members and other health care providers where the patient may have previously looked for treatment (Lippincott, Wilkins, 2006). The medical practitioners may also seek other influencing factors and develop a suitable framework that will be used in interview. Planning: After the patient is assessed and interviewed and all the necessary information obtained, the patient is then asked to set the goals and the outcomes that he or she desires (Morrissey, Keogh, Doyle, 2008). These goals should be feasible. The psychiatrists will then decide the best method that can be followed to achieve these goals depending on the nature, conditions and settings of the patient. Intervention: These are the actions taken by the healthcares practitioners to ensure that the stipulated goals and outcomes are achieved (Townsend, 2014). The actions of the practitioners will be based on their clinical knowledge and skills, judgment and their professionalism on how intervene on the patients personal crisis (Lippincott, Wilkins, 2006). This may include the administration of appropriate medication, therapy, emotional support and privacy provision among others. Evaluation: The effectiveness of the intervention took by the medical practitioners is usually examined by the outcomes obtained (Clarke, Walsh, 2009). In cases where the set goals and outcomes are not achieved, the crisis is resolved and the patient is returned to the intervention procedure for further check by the psychiatrist until the result is obtained (Morrissey, Keogh, Doyle, 2008). The main purpose of the principles of mental health nursing is to ensure that the health care services provided to patients with mental health disorder are delivered in a way that supports the patients recovery (Downes, 2008). These principles include; Uniqueness of the patient-this encourages the patient to understand that they are at the center of the treatment. Real choice- this helps in supporting patients to acquire inbuilt strengths and ensures that the patients take responsibilities of their lives as much as they can. Attitude and rights-it helps in instilling hope to the patients future and enables them to lead a meaningful life. Dignity and respect- it helps in challenging discrimination towards the patients. Communication and partnership-instills the values of sharing information and the importance of effective communication. Reference Clarke, V., Walsh, A. (2009). Fundamentals of mental health nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Downes, S. (2008, February 08). Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutionary-psychology/ Lippincott Williams Wilkins., Books@Ovid., Electronic Books Collection. (2006). Straight A's in psychiatric mental health nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Morrissey, J., Callaghan, P. (2011). Communication skills for mental health nurses. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Morrissey, J., Keogh, B., Doyle, L. (2008). Psychiatric/ mental health nursing: An Irish perspective. Dublin: Gill Macmillan. Townsend, M. (2014). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company. United Nations; Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.World Population Prospects: the 2008 revision [Internet]. New York; 2009[cited 2012 May 20]. Available from: https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_highlights. Varcarolis, E. M., Halter, M. J., Varcarolis, E. M. (2010). Foundations of psychiatric mental health nursing: A clinical approach. St. Louis, Mo: Saunders/Elsevier.