ROLL OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH NURSE

2. Overview
 Definition
 Job description
 Typical work activities

3. THE PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL HEALTH NURSE
 Mental Health Nursing is a specialized field of
nursing which focuses on meeting the mental
health needs of the consumer, in partnership with
family, significant others and the community in any
setting. It is a specialized interpersonal process
embodying a concept of caring….”

4. MENTAL HEALTH NURSE : JOB DESCRIPTION
 Mental health nurses work with people
suffering from various mental health conditions
and their family to offer help and support in
dealing with the condition. The work involves
helping the patient to recover from their illness
or to come to term with it in order to lead a
positive life.

5. MENTAL HEALTH NURSE : JOB DESCRIPTION ….
 The nurses may specialize in working with
children or older people, or in a specific area
such as eating disorders. Mental health nurses
often work in multidisciplinary teams, liaising
with psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational
therapists, GPs, social workers and other health
professionals.

6. MENTAL HEALTH NURSE : JOB DESCRIPTION …
 Asa registered mental health nurse
(RMN), you may work with patients in a
variety of settings including their own
homes, community healthcare
centers, hospital outpatients departments or
specialist units, or secure residential units.

7. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES
 The work carried out by a mental health nurse can vary depending
on the setting and specialist group they are working with. But the
role typically consists of:
 caring for patients experiencing acute mental distress or who have
an enduring mental illness;
 assessing and talking to patients about their problems and
discussing the best way to plan and deliver their care;
 building relationships with patients to encourage trust, while
listening to and interpreting their needs and concerns;
 ensuring the correct administration of medication, including
injections, and monitoring the results of treatment;
 responding to distressed patients in a non-threatening manner and
attempting to understand the source of distress;
 applying 'de-escalation' techniques to help people manage their
emotions and behaviour;
 preparing and participating in group and/or one-to-one therapy
sessions, both individually and with other health professionals;

8. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES …
 providing evidence-based individual therapy, such as cognitive
behavior therapy for depression and anxiety;
 encouraging patients to take part in art, drama or occupational
therapy where appropriate;
 organizing social events aimed at developing patients' social
skills;
 preparing and maintaining patient records;
 producing care plans and risk assessments for individual
patients;
 ensuring that the legal requirements appropriate to a
particular setting or group of patients are observed;
 working with patients' families and carers, helping to educate
them and the patient about their health problems;
 promoting a 'recovery' based mental approach to care.

9. THE SEVEN STANDARDS OF PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL
HEALTH NURSING PRACTICE ARE:
 Provides competent professional care through the
development of a therapeutic relationship;
 Performs/refines client assessments through the diagnostic
and monitoring function;
 Administers and monitors therapeutic interventions;
 Effectively manages rapidly changing situations;
 Intervenes through the teaching coaching function;
 Monitors and ensures the quality of health care practices;
 Practices within an organizational and work-role structure.

10. BURGESS (1999) OUTLINES THE FOLLOWING
COMPETENCIES OF THE P/MH DIRECT CARE
PROVIDER:
 considers the needs and strengths of the whole person, the family and
the community to assess mental health needs, formulate diagnoses,
and plan, implement and evaluate nursing care;
 collaborates with people and interprofesssional partners to provide
people with information to make informed decisions about their
health;
 uses population-focused interventions that provide health prevention
and early intervention initiatives;
 identifies and responds to people/ group(s) most vulnerable to mental
health problems;
 motivates and enables individuals and communities to take
responsibility for their health and to make healthier choices;
 provides ongoing information and education to clients, other
providers, other organizations, and the

11. BURGESS (1999) OUTLINES THE FOLLOWING
COMPETENCIES OF THE P/MH DIRECT CARE
PROVIDER:
 provides ongoing information and education to clients, other
providers, other organizations, and the public about current
and emerging mental health issues;
 promotes community acceptance of people with mental
health problems;
 fosters and supports creativity and innovation in nursing
practice;
 provides culturally-sensitive care;
 provides outreach and links people to services; and,
 provides liaison function with the hospital and the
emergency department to support people when they return
home.

12. BURGESS (1999) OUTLINES THE FOLLOWING
COMPETENCIES OF THE P/MH DIRECT CARE
PROVIDER:
 provide an opportunity for people to work towards living in a
more satisfying and resourceful way;
 use a range of counseling skills based on counseling models such
as interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy
and solution-focused therapy to improve an individual’s
functioning and quality of life; and,
 help people to be supported, to gain insight, and to bring about
change in thoughts, feelings and behaviour.