Some thing I noticed recently is of nurses' expectations for the patients. Our S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, Timely) goals are a bit different from other nursing areas. For instance, one might be for the patient to only rely on PRN anxiolitics only six days out of seven and instead utilize coping strategies for one day to reduce agitation. For some behavioral patients, that is a tall order. For others, that is an attainable goal.Our job as mental health nurses is not to diagnose patients. Our job is to treat and help manage the treatment of our patients, especially because in this area, many cannot do so themselves. For example, for someone with ulcerative colitis who also suffers from bipolar disorder, sticking to a safe nutritional diet can be challenging if not near impossible for those that cope through eating. Nurses must help manage the ulcerative colitis exacerbations as well as the bipolar disorder.
That being said, mental health nurses have to be far more observant in changes in patients' behaviors than nurses in other areas of healthcare. What seems like laziness and sitting around is actually persistent monitoring of patients and charting their behavior in a subjective, non-judgmental manner.
For an example of how difficult this type of writing can be, take a moment to look at a person nearby and describe them without using words such as "cool," "nice," and "cute." Post your observations in the comments below. It is can be a very arduous task if one is describing multiple patients with similar behaviors.
My point being, each patient is an individual and one is most reminded of that in behavioral health.
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