Institutional Affiliation Sedative drugs

Running head: BACHELOR NURSING ASSIGNMENT 1
Bachelor Nursing Assignment
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Sedative drugs are medications which are prescribed and designed to be given to most of
the mentally ill patients to violence and agitation of the individuals affected. Their additive effect
is to bring sedation where by the individual involved is calmed to bring about easing effect
which finally leads to sleep permittance (Amodeo et al., 2018). Besides having addictive effects
and potentials, sedatives main action is via the central nervous system where they act by
modulating the signals channeled to and from the nervous system. Sedatives are also referred to
as tranquilizers and hence are used for reducing the widespread dispensation caused by
antipsychotic drugs. This class of drugs include the barbiturates, sleeping pills and
benzodiazepines which are used to reduce anxiety and other panic attacks through prescriptions
of for medical conditions like insomnia not leaving behind other problems involving sleep. The
effects of sedatives also involve modulation and change of moods of a particular person. Due to
their addictive effects which brings about their abuse and misuse potentials, sedatives are
generally prescribed and controlled (Cussotto et al., 2019). These drugs are misused mainly
through self-medication described as chemical copying where the drug poses psychological
symptoms in a way which is contrary from the expected effects by the prescriber. Apart from
being misused, these drugs are generally abused in the sense that they are being used for
euphoric effects and therefore, may be having serious and very dangerous consequences (Verma
et al., 2019).
Controversies involved during psychotropic medication use
Controversy revolves around the use of psychotropic drugs on people living with mental
illness. These individuals range from children, adolescents and the adults. Though these
medications are used to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders,
bipolar disorders including attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they bring with

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them so many dangerous side effects like vomiting, fainting, death, blurred vision and extreme
weight gain (Schwarcz & Stone, 2017). The increased and continuous use of sedatives or
psychotropic medications over the years for the treatment of mental disorders in adults,
adolescents and children have become so controversial due to the harmful health side effects
which they may potentially have and also the ethical viewpoints of parents where they may be
involved either indirectly or directly using these drugs on them or their children in helping them
to calm down. For this reason, everyone involved in the use of psychotropic drugs in managing
mental health issues should take keen interest for the determination of whether these drugs pose
more harmful effects than positive benefits in the human body especially to young children
(Passos et al., 2016).
An example of controversy in the use of these drugs is viewed in children where a study
was conducted in the University of New Jersey in the school of medicine and dentistry and
showed that out of ten children, there was one who suffers severe mental illnesses to an extent of
developing an impaired judgement when a medical treatment was administered to that child who
had mental illness problems. From this particular study and the side effects shown to be caused
by these drugs, many individuals including parents, adolescents and adults in general have been
very reluctant in taking these psychotropic drugs for medications during mental illnesses
(Samuel et al., 2015). This is due to the controversial negative stereotypes which are associated
and closely related to mental disorders. These mental disorders when not treated early and left
unattended to however, may become elevated to a stage where they cannot be controlled
therefore, causing alienation of individuals from their peers and or their families. When this
happens, it is found that the individuals who are suffering from these mental disorders may cause
more havoc to the community and the society in which they live. This can therefore, cause

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family separations being that they cannot associate well with the affected members of the family,
it can also cause social distancing between peers, children and adolescents may flunk away from
school, adults and adolescents can get involved in negative activities like commission of crimes
and offences which may lead them to be locked up in prisons after being confronted in court of
law (Notaras et al., 2015).
Another controversy and concern of the usage of psychotropic medications which is
bringing a great issue and challenge is matters concerning prescription. It is found that there is
over prescription of the psychotropic drugs especially for the children and adolescents according
to the studies carried out by the Food and Drug Administration in America. Many parents and
adults are always in hurry to quickly fix the problems they may be having either for themselves
or their children and adolescents who are suffering from the mental illnesses. For this reason, it is
found that parents are attracted to easier ways of curbing, quelling and combating the
hyperactivity of their children and even themselves. The quick fix issue of parents and other
adults therefore, is the main determinant of prescription given to their children as well as
themselves (Robinson, 2015).
Another controversial issue and a great concern about the use of psychotropic drugs in
many children is the viewpoints of ethical considerations which revolve around the age at which
a child should be receiving the medical treatment for the first time. This is explained by doctors
who say that prescribing these drugs to very young children may pose a great health risk which
mainly entails the interference with the normal development of the cells of the body especially
those of the brain which grows pretty fast (Agrawal et al., 2014). Even though treatment with
psychotropic drugs at very young age has a lot of risks which can be very grave, this practice
usually has very many benefits including those which enables the child to be very amenable to

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other various therapies which might be given to them. The effects these drugs might have in
small children for example, can interfere with the normal and healthy development of the child
mainly because these drugs affect the normal functioning of the brain. For this reason, many
people fear using these drugs on young children therefore, bringing a lot of concerns on this
particular issue (Stone, 2014).
Psychotic patients may present non-adherence during treatment, which may prompt the
use of covert medications by the nurses. Ethically hiding psychotropic medication such as
sedatives to reduce the patient's non-adherence breaches contemporary ethical practices by the
health staff and family members that approve the practice. Such a practice contravenes the
paramount ethical principle of informed consent. Quality recovery-oriented mental health
practices involve delivering trauma-informed, consumer-centered, recovery-focused, and that
ensures safety for everyone. Having talked about the side effects which may be portrayed by
these drugs, the rate at which a person reacts to these particular dugs is of a great concern and is
bringing controversies. It is found that the young and the adolescents may react to these drugs
more rapidly than the adults therefore, making them experience these side effects in a stronger
way and may even lead to rising of the new side effects. This brings a concern and controversy
of whether treatment of the adolescents with sedatives or the psychotropic dugs may make them
to risk higher chances of becoming heavily involved in drug abuse in the future. If at all this
issue is true, then it can be very dangerous for the health of the adolescents involved in such
practices (Huefner & Griffith, 2014).

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Challenging aspects faced by registered nurses in the administration of psychotropic
medications.
Registered nurses who are working in the mental health sector to administer psychotropic
drugs do have challenging experiences during the time they are working mainly because the
environment to which they operate is very challenging. One of the challenges which some
mental health nurses face is an underdeveloped system of mental health care (Sabella, 2013).
Some of these systems are under resourced for example, you find that in a population or a region
having millions of people some of which are suffering from the mental problems, only a few
nurses are available to provide the services required by these people. It is therefore, very
challenging for the few nurses to work and serve the large population. Inability to provide the
required services by the few nurses is because the nurses get over exhausted with the large work
load which they are subjected to. They are therefore, faced by the demanding load of work
within and even outside the workplace (Sawan et al., 2017).
Another challenge faced by nurses is that of a disruptive working environment which
generally distract that particular nurse. This is caused by an environment which is commonly
busy therefore, following the noises and the distractions to the nurses eventually cause a highly
influential effect. This affects the skills and lapses which should be provided at a greater quality
while delivering and administering the psychotropic medications (Simonsen et al., 2014).
Registered nurses who work in mental health hospitals undergo through psychological
and psychosocial challenges while carrying out their daily processes of helping the mentally ill
patients to recover from their conditions. This is caused by the daily several difficulties they go
through when they are interacting with the psychiatric patients. A nurse may be involved in the
resolution of issues like fights involving the patients. This greatly affects the normal life,

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personal and work life. The nurses may get irritated and depressed when they constantly get
involved in such circumstances. Negative social perspectives of nurses working in psychiatry
wards affect their quality of life. The aspect of fear imposed by the circumstances the nurse goes
through either through harming them physically may pose a great psychological stress and the
overall well-being of the nurse (Neville & Roan, 2014).
Another challenge which is being faced the registered nurses during the administration of
psychotropic drugs to mentally ill patients and even through the process of helping them recover
from their condition is the instances of assaults. This is where a particular patient physically or
verbally assaults a nurse therefore, causing them to get involved in violence (Harris, 2014).
Violence can negatively affect the process and hinder an efficacious care delivery in different
delivery departments in that particular context. An example is the NHS Business Services
Authority, for instance, their staff encountered assault from the psychiatric patients, whereby
68,683 cases were reported in which 53, 484 were carried out with the perpetrators not knowing
what they were doing. From this violence which is experienced by several nurses, an additive
negative effect in service delivery is experienced therefore reduces the chances of efficient
monitoring and recovery processes of psychiatric patients. When such instance occurs, the
normal carrying out of activities by the nurses is jeopardized and hence the nurses cannot
perform their expected functions appropriately (Hanlon et al., 2014).
Conclusion
Usage of sedatives or the psychotropic medications in the management of the mental
illnesses have greatly increased over the years independent of the age of whom is receiving these
treatments. These drugs have been used to treat conditions related to anxiety among other
conditions described in the introduction where they induce sleep or depression, an effect caused

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by barbiturates. This therefore helps in the relaxation of the mentally ill patients who are most of
the time very hostile to handle. Treatments with these drugs have been identified to be
controversial in the sense that they cause a variety of adverse side effects which may interfere
with development of the body as well as the brain cells of young children. Controversy is also
brought about by the ethical viewpoints of different people as well. Besides the controversies of
the adverse side effects brought about by the psychotropic drugs, they bring with them some
positive advantages which includes those of positive reaction with other therapies in children.
Nurses who are working in the mental health sector in the management of mental health
problems always face dire challenges and the ways of their life depending on the environment in
which they work. Workplace environment therefore, determines the psychological adjustments
of the nurses dictating the challenges they face.

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