Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing Essay

Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing - Essay Example Assessment in mental health nursing is something that is most understood through its application in the case of a patient. In relation, this essay will then examine case of a patient with Paranoid Schizophrenia, who was the patient during my community placement. Performed in a form of a case study, this essay will pay attention to the patient`s psychiatric and personal history. The current sociological, psychological and physiological needs of the patient will be also examined from the point of view of therapeutic approaches. Moreover, this essay aims to demonstrate how the nursing therapeutic approaches work in practice and develop a deeper understanding of applying some therapeutic methods in the care of individuals suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. More specifically, this paper will utilize Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as the main guiding theory or theoretical perspective in the assessment and intervention processes. In addition, the goal of the paper is to examine the role of the nurse, especially as a health educator, in caring for the mentally ill patient. Finally, this paper will discuss therapeutic nursing interventions, assessment of needs, and patient`s progress, analyze the therapeutic efficacy of environment where the patient is being cared for. Case Study Patient’s Background and History As mentioned, the case to be studied involves schizophrenia. This condition is usually diagnosed in adolescents or young patients. In some cases, it can even manifest in the person’s earlier years of life. The peak incidence for the onset of the disease lies between 15 and 25 years for men and 25 to 35 years for women (America Psychiatric Association, 2004). More specifically, this case study will involve the case of Patrick Jones (pseudonym; the name of the patient is changed for confidentiality), a 25 years old who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia last year. Paranoid schizophrenia is considered to be the most common type of schizophrenia all over the world. The clinical picture of this condition is characterized by delusions, paranoia. As with most paranoid schizophrenic patients, Patrick Jones usually has perceptual disturbances and hallucinations, generally of the auditory type. Two months before Patrick was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, his girlfriend was killed by a gang committing acts of violence in the neighbourhood. Patrick`s relatives and friends were concerned about his constant complaints of abdominal pain and headache. He experien ced severe appetite loss and as a result he lost a lot of weight in two and a half months - about 12 kg. Patrick stopped taking his showers and did not pay attention to personal hygiene. As a result, his body acquired an unbearable odour. Patrick also developed an ungrounded fear that he was about to be run over by a car, so he constantly stayed at home and refused to leave it even to go to the store to buy himself some food. His behaviour became utterly anti-social. He stayed locked in his bedroom for days. He also had episodes of outbursts of anger with elements of violence, which greatly terrified his family. Because of these different occurrences and observations, as well as the assumed cause of the patient’s condition (death of girlfriend), Patrick’s family opted to call for medical assistance. Thus, Patrick was brought in for assessment and evaluation. After a series of assessments and interactions with the patient,