ROLE OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSE:

In Blocks 2 and 3 you have learnt about various therapeutic interventions  for mental disorders  like anxiety neurotic disorders, psychotic disorders  and others. The nurse has an important role in  treatment modalities used for mentally ill patient. The focus of  this unit is the study of Psychopharmacology  and its impact on psychiatric-mental health nursing. The advent of  psychotropic medications have generated dramatic results in the treatment of  mentally ill. The drugs have been used extensively with various actions but the  side effects have also increased extensively because of  increased side effects patient's compliance  to medicine decreases,  so  there is recurrent episodes of mental illness. The role of  a nurse needs to help the patient and family members to continue taking drugs until advised by  psychiatrist to reduce or stop the medicine.

Responsibilities of  the nurse include recognizing the desired actions and adverse reactions of  the drugs and normal therapeutic dosage, documenting medication, administration and keeping abreast of  current literature on  psychotropic drugs. Somatic therapy or physical therapy is one form of  treatment given to mentally ill patient. In  this therapy electric current is used to produce grandma1 type of convulsion in the patient. In this unit you will learn about Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) and role of  psychiatric nurse. 

Psychological treatment or psychotherapy is one of  the approaches helping the patient from suffering any type of mental and behavioural disorders. Psychotherapy is also used for patient with emotional and personality problems. Psychotherapy  is used frequently by nurse therapist  to help  the patient. Psychotherapy is given independently by  the nurse or it is also done jointly with the team members. In  this unit you will also learn about the types of psychological therapies and  role of mental health psychiatric nurse.