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.

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.