Tasks to be undertaken:
1. You have already undertaken your Analytical Literature Review on your chosen topic. You are now required to again read the scenario you chose for assignment one.
2. You are required to formulate a set of recommendations that need to be supported by expert opinion. (It is expected that you will utilise your literature review findings from assignment one.)
3. You are required to identify and justify your recommendations by:
• highlighting the key benefits of your proposed action strategy, and
• identifying potential limitations that could arise from your action strategy.
4. You are also required within your action plan to discuss how you intend to inform and empower other stakeholders in implementing your action plan i.e. the client, other health professionals, the client’s extended family and the broader community.
Sceniro choosen below:
The mental health of young people and psychiatric nursing
Sophie is a nurse working in the emergency department (ED) of a 400 bed metropolitan hospital. She is newly graduated and likes the busy feel and teamwork of emergency departments. Six months ago, she began a post-graduate certificate in the field of emergency nursing but worries at times about her ability to assess clients. This is particularly the case when patients with mental health problems present.
On her first ‘solo’ triage shift, a very agitated 17 year old man named Ricky is brought in by his parents. Sophie is able to ascertain that he has been smoking marijuana constantly over the previous months and has been very irritable at home. His parents have observed him apparently talking to himself on occasions during the past week and say they are very worried about him. His academic performance at school has also declined noticeably and his parents describe him as much more ‘withdrawn’ than a year ago.
Sophie is aware that the ED is very busy and that she needs assistance in managing Ricky and supporting his family. She is also feeling physically threatened by him. She decides to contact Mark, the Mental Health Nurse attached to the Crisis Assessment Team (CAT) who is on call from the Acute Psychiatric area of the hospital, so that together they can put into place a management plan for Ricky and his family.
Action required:
Sophie, in conjunction with Mark the mental health liaison nurse, are required to design a course of action to deal with a client who exhibits psychosis symptoms within the emergency department. Sophie and Mark are required to identify and involve key stakeholders in the design of their emergency procedures and protocols for a client who presents with mental health symptoms that require immediate diagnosis and appropriate case management in line with hospital policies and procedures.