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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
Mental healthcare in the United States has experienced something of a revolutionary change over the past decade. While some stigma regarding mental health issues stubbornly remains, the vast majority of it has disappeared as issues like depression and anxiety have become mainstream. Patients are more empowered than ever to reach out and demand the care they require. Today’s medical professionals are rising to meet the needs of an increasingly health-aware population. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), in particular, play a crucial role in treating patients struggling with mental health concerns. This article will explore some of the therapeutic interventions and treatments within psychiatric nursing and the role PMHNPs play in the treatment process.
What are therapeutic interventions and treatments?
Therapeutic interventions and treatments are the backbone of mental health nursing. They are designed to help incorporate holistic care, decrease pain and alleviate symptoms in patients with mental health struggles.
Types of therapeutic interventions
Common therapeutic interventions include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing as well as interpersonal therapy, among others. Each of these has its own advantages and drawbacks. PMHNPs must be able to assess their patient’s current struggles as well as their healthcare history to determine which, if any, of these is a good choice for treatment.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychological treatment that is effective at treating a variety of mental health issues such as depression; drug and alcohol use problems; and anxiety orders. It is based around the idea that behavior is learned and therefore may be unlearned and changed under the right conditions.
Motivational interviewing is a form of therapeutic intervention that focuses on resolving and exploring ambivalence in motivational processes. The goal of motivational interviewing is to encourage the patient to want to change their behavior rather than simply telling them to change their behavior. Motivated patients are more likely to make permanent changes to their mental health.
Finally, interpersonal therapy is a short-term therapeutic intervention that seeks to help patients understand the interpersonal issues that are having a negative impact on their mental health. Unresolved grief, conflicts with significant others, and changes in work or social roles are all examples of underlying interpersonal issues that could contribute to mental health struggles.
Therapeutic activities
While working with the treatments and interventions above, PMHNPs might also encourage patients to take part in various activities. Popular therapeutic activities include music therapy, equine therapy and journaling, among many others.
Music therapy encourages patients to use music for mood enhancement and emotional regulation. Equine therapy, on the other hand, revolves around horse care and riding. Patients working with equine therapy perform duties such as feeding, leading and grooming a horse while being supervised by mental health professionals. Journaling is, perhaps, the most conventional therapeutic activity on this list. Patients keep a journal to record their mood, their feelings and the major events that have an impact on them each day. This allows them to detect patterns in their mental health and make strategic changes to remove harmful behaviors.
Innovations in treatment
One of the most innovative aspects of therapeutic interventions and treatments within the field of psychiatric nursing revolves around patient education. Rather than giving patients a lot of information in person with little follow-up, today’s care providers instead host a variety of interventions designed to teach the public about mental health issues using methods like in-person and online seminars and workshops. These simple interventions not only ensure that patients are well-educated about their specific mental health needs but also give them the knowledge they need to educate others about their struggles.
What do PMHNPs do?
PMHNPs are psychiatric professionals redefining who can administer comprehensive medical care and improving access to quality treatments around the country. These advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) undergo rigorous training, both in the classroom and in person, to ensure they have all of the tools necessary to successfully treat patients with all manner of mental health concerns. The PMHNP role is defined by three general responsibilities, each of which is comprised of innumerable important tasks:
- Assess
- Diagnose
- Treat
First, PMHNPs must sit down with the patient in question and explore their current emotions. Their current state must be considered in conjunction with past mental health needs as a broader understanding of the patient’s struggles can guide PMHNPs in selecting the right treatment or intervention. Diagnosing patients is the next step and consists of PMHNPs determining what specific mental illness or struggle is affecting their patients. A diagnosis makes it easier to narrow down effective treatment options. The last broad area of activity PMHNPs carry out is treatment. Once a diagnosis has been made, PMHNPs treat the patient to improve their circumstances.
Becoming a PMHNP
Now that you have a basic understanding of some of the tasks PMHNPs carry out throughout the course of their day, you might be wondering how they meet these responsibilities as well as some of the situations they might experience while working. You’ll also be wondering, “What is it like to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner?”, and, to find out a more detailed explanation, click here. Universities like Rockhurst offer aspiring PMHNPs the comprehensive education they will need to make a positive difference in their patient’s lives, and students learn how to perform social and cognitive assessments while understanding mental status exams and psychological screening tools.
Conclusion
Using therapeutic interventions and treatments, PMHNPs help patients live happy and fulfilling lives. Education, in turn, helps the people around the patients to support and aid their loved ones in recovery. If you are interested in joining their ranks, keep the information above in mind as you search for the right school and set yourself on the route to achieving your goals.
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