Assessing Mental Health Nursing Students' Experiences in Practice

This essay delves into the experiences of mental health nursing students when interacting with psychiatric patients, focusing on the challenges and anxieties they face, particularly concerning antipsychotic medications. The essay reviews literature on the topic, highlighting the importance of medication adherence and the complexities of administering medications to patients with conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It discusses the role of nursing students and healthcare staff in providing person-centered care and addressing issues such as medication errors and patient reluctance. The essay also examines the impact of antipsychotic medications on patient outcomes and the importance of patient involvement in treatment decisions. It concludes by emphasizing the vital role of antipsychotics in managing patients' health conditions and the need for nurses to be vigilant in their administration.

Running Head: NURSING
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Nursing
4/11/2019

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The essay brings about the discussion on the assessment of the experience of the mental
health-nursing students while dealing with the psychiatric patients. The discussion is the
literature review of the experience of nursing students as anxiety in remembering the
antipsychotic medications, and the other related problems.
Antipsychotics are also termed as neuroleptics or major tranquilizers belong to a category of
medications primarily used to manage the problem of psychosis. Here, the term psychosis
refers to the mental health problems or disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and
others.
Antipsychotic medications function in a manner by altering the brain’s chemistry to reduce
the negative or psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, disordered thinking, and
delusions. Therefore, in context to these issues it has been analysed that the nursing students
or health nurse play a vital role in dealing with such patients (Lally and MacCabe, 2015).
The authors Irma et al (2016) stated the importance of aspect of remembering the
antipsychotic medications to be given to the patient, and the anxiety they face due to the non-
adherence. They mentioned that providing these medications become complex with the case
of distracted patients, and this increases the workload of the patients. Increased workload of
treating the psychotic patients, and affects their remembering power to give medications.
Rafal et al (2017) stated about the problem of the mental health-nursing students, that they
face problems in providing medicines or treatment to the person. Due to the complex
behaviour of the patients, and their reluctance to the treatment therapy, it has been analysed
that anxiety is one common issue. It happens that sometimes they tend to forget the
medications to be given to them regarding their treatment, and often commit medication
errors. Furthermore, the issue of poor adherence to medications and treatment, in the patients
with psychosis is linked to several other problems in the healthcare (Sendt, Tracy and
Bhattacharyya, 2015).
The study has stated that these problems may include or associated with the issues of more
frequent relapse, re-hospitalization, increased consumption of health services and poor
outcomes on a variety of measures. Health care staff or mental health nurse play an
important role in maintaining good adherence to health by being empathetic and supportive in
the medication phase. Nurses maintain healthy relationship with the patients, by providing
person-centred care and effective medical treatment.

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However, in context to the mental health illness or problems of the patients, and giving
antipsychotic medications, the role of patient has considered important. The involvement of
the patient in decision-making related to the treatment process. Lindah et al. (2017) has
mentioned through their research that the antipsychotic medications are used off label in the
nursing homes to sedate the patients, especially older in age with dementia. This becomes a
major reason as stated by the researchers faced by the mental health nurse in the hospitals, to
remember the antipsychotic medications to be given to the patients. Therefore, it has been
understood that the nurses or other professionals must take care of the aspect of medications
to be given to patients affected by mental illness (Mahone, Maphis and Snow, 2016).
To conclude the above discussion it has been analysed that the antipsychotic medications
play a vital role in determining the health condition of the patient. This is important for the
patients, as well as nurse to avoid any kind of problem or misadventure.

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References
Cahling, L., Berntsson, A., Bröms, G. and Öhrmalm, L. (2017) Perceptions and knowledge of
antipsychotics among mental health professionals and patients. BJPsych bulletin, 41(5),
pp.254-259.
Lally, J. and MacCabe, J.H. (2015) Antipsychotic medication in schizophrenia: a
review. British medical bulletin, 114(1), pp.169-179.
Mahone, I.H., Maphis, C.F. and Snow, D.E. (2016) Effective strategies for nurses
empowering clients with schizophrenia: medication use as a tool in recovery. Issues in mental
health nursing, 37(5), pp. 372-379.
Sendt, K.V., Tracy, D.K. and Bhattacharyya, S. (2015) A systematic review of factors
influencing adherence to antipsychotic medication in schizophrenia-spectrum
disorders. Psychiatry research, 225(1-2), pp.14-30.
Yeisen, R.A., Bjornestad, J., Joa, I., Johannessen, J.O. and Opjordsmoen, S. (2017)
Experiences of antipsychotic use in patients with early psychosis: a two-year follow-up
study. BMC psychiatry, 17(1), p. 299.