Psychiatric and mental health nursing is the field of nursing practice that involves the care of individuals with a mental health disorder to help them recover and improve their quality of life. They work with the people suffering from:
- Anxiety disorders, like panic attacks and phobias
- Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression
- Issues with substance abuse, such as drugs and alcohol
- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
Nurses work generally with individuals, families, groups, and communities, assessing their mental health needs. They should have advanced knowledge of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders that helps them provide specialized care. They are trained to access, diagnose, and treat individuals using their full therapeutic skills, including the prescription of medication and administration of psychotherapy. Also they help with the patients to dress, groom, and take their medications.
