Recovery in Mental Health Nursing: Principles and Application

This article discusses the meaning of recovery in mental healthcare and mental health nursing, its three principle tenets, and its application in mental healthcare. Recovery-oriented mental health services focus on evidence-based therapy, treatment, psychosocial and rehabilitation support to achieve physical and mental wellbeing. Mental health nurses play a crucial role in helping individuals recognize the needful combination of treatments, services, and supports for removing barriers and challenges to participation in community life.

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
Mental Health Nursing
Name of student:
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Question 1
Meaning of recovery in mental healthcare or mental health nursing and three principle
tenets
While there exists no particular definition for recovery in the context of mental healthcare
or mental health nursing, recovery is to be perceived as the ability to establish and live a
contributing and meaningful life in the absence or presence of noted mental health concerns. The
notion of recovery, in context of mental health, had been developed for the people, and by the
people suffering from mental health conditions. The aim was to describe the experiences and
perceptions of these individuals for affirming personal identity crossing the limitations set by the
mental health diagnosis (health.gov.au 2013). In continuation, it is mentioned that recovery
approach to mental health puts focus on the potential for achieving recuperation and
revitalization from mental health concerns. Recovery is perceived as the process through which
the personal journey of the individual is made better as indicated through a strong sense of self
and a secured base. Moreover, recovery considers symptoms of mental health issues as the
‘continuum of the norm’ instead of an abnormality. Some of the noted features of recovery are
that it is a personal unique journey; it is a fundamental human process; the process is non-linear;
and it is an ongoing procedure.
According to Fortinash and Worret (2014) recovery oriented mental healthcare
approaches ensure that a transformative conceptual framework is enabled for care delivery
within the provision of health service. For ensuring the individuals are to undergo the process of
recovery, the insights and lived experiences of the individuals suffering from mental health
illness are to be placed at the center of the care culture. Recovery-oriented approaches delivered

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through the professionals are to appreciate the lived experiences that individuals have and apply
their skills and knowledge for establishing close relationship with them. Further, approaches
targeting recovery must break the barriers of traditional concepts and conventional demarcation
existing between staff and consumers. The recovery paradigm entails that all individuals being
given care are shown dignity and their privacy is respected in relation to the strengths they
exhibit.
Recovery, when studies from the standpoint of an individual experiencing mental illness,
means receiving and preserving hope, personal autonomy, knowledge of the disabilities and
abilities, and social indentify. A person therefore develops a positive sense of self. Recovery is
linked to both external conditions facilitating recovery and internal conditions that the person
experiences, such a healing, hope and empowerment (Le Boutillie et al. 2015). According to
Camman (2010) recovery in context of mental health care is to be referred to as the process
involving personal decision making in diverse areas. It is noted that mental health nurses are in a
position to provide assistance to patients for developing mental health on the basis of a thorough
assessment. Individuals can be guided to engage in effective decision making in relation to
integration of healthy behaviours through the utilization of motivational interviewing processes,
varied assessment tools and recovery planning techniques.

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Figure: The concept of recovery (health.gov.au 2013)
The Department of Health, Australian government, has outlined the principles of
recovery oriented mental health practice. These principles have relevancy to the national
standards and the applicability is across the comprehensive mental health service system that
encompasses the non-governmental community mental health service sector. The principles of
recovery-oriented practice are outlined for ensuring that service projection is in such a manner
that promotes the recovery in an adequate way. The three principle tenets are uniqueness of
individuals, real choices, and attitudes and rights.
As per the principle of ‘uniqueness of the individual’, recovery oriented mental health
practice must recognize that the process of recovery is not all about how care is delivered.
Rather, it must involve ensuring opportunities for choices given to individuals so that one can
live a satisfying, purposeful and meaningful life, and develop the sense of being a valued
member of the society. Further, it is to be accepted that each individual has unique recovery
outcomes that goes beyond the focus given exclusively on health. Quality of life and social

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inclusion are also to be given attention in this regard. In addition, individuals are to be
empowered to make them recognized as the center of care delivered. The principle of ‘real
choices’ entails that recovery oriented mental health practice empowers and supports individuals
suffering from mental health issues so that they can make their own life choices that are creative
and meaningful. Practice must also support the person to build up their key strengths and abilities
so that they can take up social responsibilities. The principle of ‘attitudes and rights’ mention
that mental health practice must promote and protect the legal and human rights of an individual.
The individuals are to eb supported for maintaining and developing recreational, social,
vocational and occupational activities that bring in much meaning of lie to them. Hope is to be
instilled in the mind of the individual regarding the chances of leading a meaningful life in the
future (health.gov.au 2010).
Question 2
Application of recovery in mental health nursing, and or mental healthcare in general
Recovery oriented mental health services, in general, or as applied to mental health
nursing focuses on delivery of evidence-based therapy, treatment, psychosocial and rehabilitation
support aiming to achieve the required outcomes for individual in relation to physical and mental
wellbeing. Recovery is achieved for people with mental health illness when services are
considerate of the needs of the people and their aspirations. Further, recovery is successful when
people are provided with a safe and secured environment. In mental health nursing, recovery is a
commitment and visions that professional from all levels of the organization share. The vision
must be sustained through resources and diverse workforce including people with greater
expertise and skills (Gunasekara et al. 2014). Services targeting recovery considers the fact that

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individuals who suffer from unresolved and distinct trauma struggle are provided with a safe
environment. Professionals are to acknowledge the main principles of stress and trauma such as
choice, safety, empowerment and trustworthiness. In addition, services are to acknowledge and
respond to the varying needs put forward by individuals of different beliefs, culture and values.
Systems perspectives of identity are crucial for ensuring recovery in individuals. By advocating
for the human rights and social inclusion, individuals with mental health issues are guided
towards recovery. Services that challenge the prevailing stigmatizing attitudes also foster
recovery (Townsend and Morgan 2017).
Fortinas and Worret (2014) opined that mental health nurses can ensure that patients
recover from the their present situation by helping the individuals recognize the needful
combination of treatments, services and supports for removing barriers and challenges to
participation in community life. Encouragement for taking part in education and work underpins
the process through which a mental health nurse achieves recovery for the person cared for. In
this regard Parker et al. (2017) mentioned that mental health nurses promote collaborative
relationships with clients for fostering a healthy and collaborative relationship. Such a
relationship is also elementary for understanding the opportunities, and wishes of the individuals.
While delivering care, mental health nurses provide an appropriate response to the concerns,
needs, preferences, strengths and values of the clients.
From the paper of Kidd, Kenny and McKinstry (2015) it is understood that mental health
nurses caring for individuals with mental health issues are to aim at achieving recovery while
responding to the activities and things people perceive to be as significant in their lives. Further,
nurses are to promote effective decision making as per the needs and values of the individuals.
Demonstrating resourcefulness and empathy also go a long way in establishing an effective

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therapeutic communication between the care provider and the patient that is crucial for recovery
of the person. In this regard it is to be mentioned that using the support networks patients have,
service providers can integrate maximal care provision. Mental health nurses and other
professionals are entailed to use intervention promoting the self-esteem, wellness and personal
agency of the individuals.
A person centered approach also goes a long way in promoting hopefulness and instilling
a sense of hope in the individual, two most important elements of recovery. For example, when a
nurse acknowledges the sexuality, gender, culture and ethnicity of the person, a strong
therapeutic relationship is build that is supportive of recovery. A therapeutic relationship
between the patient and the professional is to be perceived as the helping relationship that is
based primarily on respect and mutual trust. Such a relationship nurtures hope and faith while
being sensitive to the requirements of the patient. Assistance provided with gratification to the
spiritual, emotional and physical needs through skills is crucial. The caring relationship is
effective when both the patient and the professional give their best efforts, leading to healing and
remedy. Further, effective forms of communication are needed as a component of care delivered
with the prime motto of recovery. These are both verbal and non verbal modes of
communication. On the whole, recovery is applied in mental healthcare context when the service
delivery embraces the possibility of wellbeing indicated by the capacity and strength of those
experiencing mental health issues (Pullen and Mathias 2014).

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References
Camann, M.A., 2010. The psychiatric nurse's role in application of recovery and decision-
making models to integrate health behaviors in the recovery process. Issues in Mental Health
Nursing, 31(8), pp.532-536.
Fortinash, K.M. and Worret, P.A.H., 2014. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing-E-Book. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Gunasekara, I., Pentland, T., Rodgers, T. and Patterson, S., 2014. What makes an excellent
mental health nurse? A pragmatic inquiry initiated and conducted by people with lived
experience of service use. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23(2), pp.101-109.
Health.gov.au. 2018. A national framework for recovery-oriented mental health services.
[online] Available at:
https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/67D17065514CF8E8CA257C1D
00017A90/$File/recovgde.pdf [Accessed 29 Aug. 2018].
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toc~mental-pubs-i-nongov-pri [Accessed 29 Aug. 2018].
Kidd, S., Kenny, A. and McKinstry, C., 2015. The meaning of recovery in a regional mental
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Le Boutillier, C., Chevalier, A., Lawrence, V., Leamy, M., Bird, V.J., Macpherson, R., Williams,
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systematic review and narrative synthesis. Implementation Science, 10(1), p.87.

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Parker, S., Dark, F., Newman, E., Korman, N., Rasmussen, Z. and Meurk, C., 2017. Reality of
working in a community‐based, recovery‐oriented mental health rehabilitation unit: A pragmatic
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