Free Essay: Mental Health of Nurses Working in Psychiatric Wards

Nurses working in psychiatric wards get faced with the challenge of ensuring better outcomes for a patient Vis a Vis ensuring that the mental situation of the patients does not consume them. Norman explains that nurses dealing with persons with mental problems are often at risk of developing psychiatric issues unless they have enough resilience to protect them from stressors (662). Therefore, it is important for healthcare institutions to recruit nurses with specific personal resiliency personalities for better outcomes, for both the client and the health care providers.

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Nurses are not immune to the environments they work, and there is always the possibility of nurses being victims to the conditions they attempt to treat. Initially, health systems ignored this fact leading to challenges for nurses. The health care system in the U.S. is significantly understaffed. Therefore, the nurse is often forced to work extra hours to ensure that the work in their respective departments gets achieved. Nurses working extra hours are often at risk of burnout. As a result, it is always necessary for managers in the healthcare department to come up with strategies that can protect nurses from such stressors.

Cowen and Moorhead, explain that the primary reason hospitals face understaffing is because of the need for healthcare institutions to cut down on costs. Mental issues have been on the increase in the U.S. to the extent that the health care system has not been able to cater to the plight of clients effectively. The scenario has resulted in a situation where nurses have to work extra hours as observed by Cowen and Moorhead (84). In essence, nurses need to have the capacity to work in situations that might require them to invest extra hours. Some nurses might break down under stress when given additional jobs while others will function effectively. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that persons recruited in the profession can work in harsh conditions.

An additional challenge for nurses working in psychiatric wards is the need to ensure that they are not affected by the mental condition of patients. Clifton, Hemingway, and Felton explain that a significant number of nurses suffer from psychological problems as a result of working with patients suffering from mental issues (181). The mental problems are as a result of being absorbed with the condition of the patient to the extent that the caregiver shows symptoms of the illness suffered by the patient. The realization of such a challenge requires that health care policies protect the health of nurses as they execute their duties. The primary objective of such an approach is to reduce the difficulties faced by nurses and to increase service delivery.

The discussion has addressed an important issue in the nursing fraternity that is crucial in ensuring service delivery. The mental state of a nurse is a contributing factor, especially when working in an environment with psychiatric patients. For instance, nurses working with mentally ill patients are always at risk of trauma as a result of witnessing the condition of the patients. Therefore, it is relevant to recruit nurses with the necessary resiliency that allows them to work in such situations without compromising service delivery. In essence, the field of psychiatric nursing requires persons with the required skills and personality that can function in an environment with the possibility of stressors.

Works Cited

Clifton, Andrew, et al. Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing: An Essential Guide for Nursing and Healthcare Students. Oxford, UK: Wiley, 2017. Print.

Cowen, Perle Slavik and Sue Moorhead. Current Issues In Nursing - E-Book. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, 2013. Print.

Norman, Ian. The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: Principles and Practice. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2015. Print.