"Stuck between a Rock and a Hard Place": How Mental Health Nurses' Experience Psychosocial interventions in Irish Mental Health Care Settings.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Psychosocial interventions (PSI) are recognized and recommended internationally as they primarily focus on improving a client's mental health and preventing relapse. Limited qualitative studies focus on the similarities and differences on offering PSI in practice across many countries. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This manuscript provides readers with qualitative findings of mental health nurses' (MHNs) experiences of using PSI in practice and the need for regular clinical supervision to increase MHNs confidence and enhance the offering of PSI.

Effects of a Mindfulness Activity on Nursing Service Staff Perceptions of Caring Behaviors in the Workplace.

Research on caring in nurse-to-nurse relationships is not extensive, but studies have shown that health care workers can experience incivility in the workplace and unhealthy relationships can increase stress and influence nurse retention. The current study examined nurse perceptions of caring in the workplace and the effect of a mindfulness activity. A mixed method design was used, and data were collected on 164 nursing staff members after a 1-minute mindfulness activity.

The Home Healthcare Universal Best Practice Protocol.

To address rehospitalization rates and emergency department rates that were above the state and national averages, a quality improvement project was implemented at a midsized home healthcare agency. In order to address these escalating rates, the Home Health Universal Best Practice Protocol was developed and implemented by a home healthcare consultant. The protocol is evidence-based, time-specific, comprehensive, and includes interventions that are linked to reducing avoidable hospital visits.

Moving Nursing Program Portfolio Assessment From Midterm to End of Program: Lessons Learned.

Portfolio assessment promotes a culture of evidence, evaluates program outcomes, and provides an opportunity to assess the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are not easily assessed by examinations and other traditional assessment methods in nursing curricula. The portfolio program of 1 Midwestern school of nursing recently moved portfolio assessment to the end of program. The process of this change including logistics, rubric development, and lessons learned is highlighted.

Management of Relocation in Cognitively Intact Older Adults.

Relocation, a major life transition that can affect health positively and negatively, is moving from one permanent home to another. Many older adults will relocate at some time during their life. Relocation is also a complex process that requires careful consideration and planning before the move (i.

Decreasing the Stigma of Mental Illness Through a Student-Nurse Mentoring Program: A Qualitative Study.

Stigma is defined as endorsing prejudicial attitudes about mental illness leading to discriminatory behaviors. It undermines the quality of medical care received by people with mental illness. Research suggests contact based interventions are effective in reducing stigma and increasing positive attitudes towards people with mental illness.

Creating a simulated Mental Health Ward: lessons learned.

The future of psychiatric-mental health nursing depends on the preparation of nurses who will meet the mental health care needs of society. The current article discusses the development of the "Mental Health Ward," a simulated mental health experience that was offered for the first time to undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students at a Midwestern university in the United States. The Mental Health Ward is an innovative simulated hospital environment that includes the use of standardized patients and role play scenarios, resulting in a full mission simulation whereby students learn various psychiatric diagnoses and practice various pertinent skills, including nursing assessments, admission and discharge processes, medication administration, and therapeutic communication.

Using Findings From the Human Rights Authority Reports to Inform Psychiatric Nursing Practice.

Background: In Illinois, the Human Rights Authority (HRA) exists to conduct investigations of complaints of violations of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Purpose Of Study: The purpose of this study is to describe the findings from the HRA investigations and to determine significant implications for psychiatric nursing practice.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, and the sample was composed of reports from the Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission HRA (N = 129) for 2008.

Creating a culture of evidence in nursing education using student portfolios.

There has been a growing interest in the use of portfolios to assess nursing student progress in areas such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. The data obtained from student portfolios can be used to improve undergraduate nursing curricula; however in order for change to occur, closing the assessment feedback loop is essential. The portfolio program of one Midwestern school of nursing has successfully used portfolio evidence to effect undergraduate curricular change.

Changing attitudes about self-injury prevention management: lessons learned.

In the behavioral health environment, nurses often use continuous staff monitoring and, at times, physical restraints, to manage the severity of patients' self-injury. Both options put staff in control, are the most restrictive in nature, and can be financially draining on the hospital's budget. This can result in negative reactions by both patients and staff.

Use of animal-assisted therapy with psychiatric patients.

The use of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an adjunct treatment approach in psychiatric settings has received much attention in the literature. This article explores the use of AAT with psychiatric patients. The authors performed a literature review and found that AAT can have a significant effect on the improvement of psychiatric patients' socialization and provides a variety of psychological benefits.

Factors related to successful teaching by outstanding professors: an interpretive study.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors associated with successful university teaching within the cultural norms of a public university in the midwestern United States. An interpretive analysis was conducted using the educational philosophy and goal statements of 35 university professors who received Presidential Teaching Awards from the university. The professors' diverse disciplines included nursing, curriculum and instruction, accountancy, music, and political science.

Assessing students' learning needs and attitudes: considerations for gerontology curriculum planning.

The growing number of older adults with multiple healthcare needs underscores the importance of teaching gerontological content to students in healthcare fields. To effectively accomplish this educational goal, it is essential to consider students' attitudes and learning needs related to caring for elderly persons. The purpose of this study was to identify prelicensure undergraduate nursing students' (N=200) perceived learning needs and attitudes toward older adults.

Behavioral health staff's perceptions of pet-assisted therapy: an exploratory study.

The purpose and objectives of this exploratory descriptive study were threefold: to assess the impact of pet-assisted therapy on the overall well-being of behavioral health staff, to document whether pet-assisted therapy affected the retention of behavioral health staff, and to explore and describe therapeutic measures behavioral health staff implemented in using pet-assisted therapy in the delivery of mental health patient care. The participants in this study were 10 behavioral health staff members who were involved with the pet-assisted therapy program at a private psychiatric hospital in a Chicago suburb. Themes that emerged from the study included Self-Awareness, Morale, Innovative Therapeutic Strategies, Challenges, and Future Directions.

Early identification of relocation risk in older adults with critical illness.

One aspect of an evidence-based practice (EBP) guideline on managing relocation in cognitively intact older adults is elaborated upon in this article. The older population is at particular risk for needing to relocate to a new permanent home following hospitalization for a critical illness, but planning for these moves is often done in crisis mode. The purpose of this article is to sensitize nurses to risks for relocation in critically ill older persons and to encourage application of the EBP guideline in practice.

Management of relocation in cognitively intact older adults.

As the older adult population grows, the rate of relocation from one home to another will also increase. To promote planning for relocation to a new home and adjustment to this stressful life event, pre-relocation and post-relocation risks need to be assessed and interventions designed to facilitate relocation decision making and adjustment. The evidence-based guideline by Hertz et al.

Ensuring a knowledgeable and committed gerontological nursing workforce.

There is a growing societal need for professional nurses who are knowledgeable and committed to working with older adults. In order to address this need, a small study that included self-evaluation and curriculum review was conducted by faculty at one Midwestern nursing program in the United States. A moderately positive attitude, moderately high knowledge, and moderate pursuit of knowledge of older adults were identified with the faculty in the presence of limited curricular content of gerontology.

Collaboration to promote best practices in care of older adults.

A successful grassroots collaboration of faculty members from one Midwestern school of nursing to promote best practices in gerontological nursing is described. Recommendations are made for developing similar collaborations in other settings.

Southeast Asian refugee children: a school-based mental health intervention.

One particular focus of refugee studies in the United States has been the violence experience of Southeast Asian (S.E.A.

Advocating for the rights of the mentally ill: a global issue.

The media has shared with the American public horrors of abuse towards prisoners of war in recent newscasts. Prisoners, and others in vulnerable positions, can fall victim to neglect and abuse at the hands of their captors. Often, human rights can be violated.