Nursing

Essay topic: Stigmas and Facilitators in advancing recovery practice in mental health nursing

Introduction

Tackling mental health issues effectively requires an in depth understanding about the fundamental elements that limits adoption and facilitates development of long-lasting solution including care, treatment, and prevention. Problems associated with mental health encompasses emotional, social, and psychological well-being with significant influence on thinking, feeling, handling stress, making choices, and behavioural aspect of individuals (Barry et al., 2014, p. 1270). In most societies, the perception of mental health problems inclusive of the individual suffering from various conditions related to mental illness is violent individuals, psychopathic, dangerous, and unsocial. As such, the individual, suffering with mental illnesses, faces several barriers when dealing with the condition of discrimination, isolation, negative attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudicial in not only at public spectrum but also approved centre and mental health facilities. In responses, the essay highlights the barriers, stigma and feelings held by author, which may affect advancing recovery practice as a mental health student. Subsequently, there is proper discussion of the ways in which these barriers can be addressed.

Additionally, it covers author`s positive attitude as hope and belief of service users involvement in their own care plan with multi-disciplinary team, which would work as facilitators in advancing recovery learning skills as a mental health student and addressing the barriers.

Hope as a facilitator

I harbour a positive attitude as hope, which is an integral part of my life and gives me extreme energy to achieve my objective of future task. I think the wonderful thing about hope is that it promises a future reward. I believe, for example, if I do not give up, there is a good chance that I will feel better in the future. I always feel that recovery is possible from mental illness because hope is the foundation of mental health recovery. Hope would act as a facilitator for me in advancing recovery practice in mental health nursing. I think my positive attitude would be helpful to make easy and achievable journey of recovery for service users in my area of practice. It would give me the opportunity to help people with mental illness for supporting them to move away from the terror of defeat and despondency by giving them hope of recovery from mental illness as there is no recovery without hope.

I found the article by Werner (2012 p. 216), which examines that the promotion of mental health is grounded on enhancing individual potential including building psychological strengths and resilience. As such, the hope instils a perspective of achieving positive mental strength, wellbeing, and enhancement of quality of life. It has been noted by O’Connor et al., (2006, p. 36) that introduction of hope takes three major levels: increasing individual emotional resilience, community participation and inclusion, and reducing inequalities and discrimination. Moreover, I take pride in knowing that recovery from the illness is not about cure but having opportunities of choices, living a purposeful and meaningful life, and being valued in a community.

Service user involvement in their care: a facilitator

I always believe that, service users must be involved in their care plan with multidisciplinary team as it gives me job satisfaction and opportunity to maintain therapeutic relationship with service receivers. Moreover, there are very less chances of making error while more chances of making timely good decision in area of my practice. Therefore, I think, this belief would work as a facilitator in advancing recovery practice in mental health nursing. Moreover, it gives opportunities to service users to make best choices, boost their confidence and give hope.

Importantly, involvement of the service user in designing and provision of mental health services oriented to personalised mental problems. Solving stigma issues, shame, and embarrassment on the mental issues requires incorporating the needs and expectation of individual. It has been noted by Barry & Edgman-Levitan (2012 p. 780-81) that, significance of shared decision-making in health care is involving service users in determining treatment methods and plan though taking into account individual feelings, preferences, and perception towards some medical techniques enhances acceptances of medical instructions. Ocloo and Matthews (2016 p. 1-2) reflected that, involving service users in developing, planning, and coproducing healthcare leads for the improvement of the services and experiences of the service receivers from not only the providers but also the general public as well as relatives, colleagues, and friends. As noted by Noiseux et al. (2010 p 161), the significance of patient involvement in recovery process is creation of a perspective of living a meaningful and valuable based on individual dynamic context (relationship and social elements) and life experiences. As such, it enables that each individual can boost confidence easing recovery journey.

I noticed that, as a mental health nursing student, society has a considerable influence on my regard towards mentally ill patients, majority of which are negative. As elaborated by Brohan et al. (2010 p. 80), some members of a society perceive mental illness as a weakness, an embarrassment and shameful condition in which neither an individual nor the society should talk about the issue. Majority avoid talking or addressing the issue harbour an attitude of ‘it can never happen to me’. Largely, I perceive this as an inhibitor in my work with persons suffering with mental illness. I am quite aware of the challenges imposed by this attitude towards treatment and management of mental illness. Therefore, it will act as powerful preventive agent against recovery ethos.

Fear as an Inhibitor

I harbour a fear of working with the patients of mental illness. The most fearful elements I hold in psychotic individuals are unpredictability and thinking that patients with mental issues behave differently from normally functioning individuals. This fear is particularly generated from previously held practice as a general nurse and I think this could be a barrier for my practice with a mentally ill person. It has been examined by Jacob and Holmes (2011, p. 68), that how fear influence nurse-patient interactions, implication of fear and how fear reinforces, nurses need to create a safe environment in order to practice in a forensic psychiatric setting. Moreover, the study suggested that, a constant negotiation between space, at risk, bodies and security take place where nurses are forced to scrutinize their actions in order to avoid the victims of violence.

It has been noted by Mårtensson et al (2014, p. 787) that, transition to mental health nursing means being in direct and constants with patients suffering with mental health problems and distress such as dementia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. I found the article by Mey et al. (2014 p. 60-61), which supports aids in understanding diagnostic and it has effects on personal and social lifestyle and behaviour. For the therapeutic management of violence and aggression (TMVA), I try to address the issue arising from control and management of conflict. The training encompasses incorporating communication and appropriate conflict management (non-aggressive approach). As such, it gives the nurses and caregivers skills and knowledge of handling mentally ill in a manner that will not infringe on their confidences, esteem, anti-social, loss self-control, and enhance inclusive. Lastly, mental issue is a multifaceted issue, taking many forms inclusive mild depression to schizophrenia hence it requires team work and corporation in order to have an imperative and long lasting solution and treatment. Moreover, maintaining therapeutic relationship with service users would boost my confidence and address this barrier.

Conclusion

These presumptions and stereotypes purports to pre-set an unfair, inaccurate, and hurtful objectification of individuals suffering with the condition. As demonstrated by recent studies, the fear and negative perception towards people with mental condition are still prevalent through not only general population but also in the avenues and providers on medical services. Personally, I still hold fear and stereotypes against mentally ill individuals viewing them as dangerous and harmful. Addressing the problem requires educating the society with the condition to eliminate prejudgement and negative perception against mentally ill individuals. Moreover, self-confidence and esteem aid in dealing with the problems associated mental issues inclusive of seeking through either therapeutic relationship or team work. Additionally, positive attitude (hope and involvement of service users) and Implementation of fundamental principles of recovery in mental health care would give me numerous opportunities to maintain therapeutic relationship with the service users and multidisciplinary team of care which would be helpful in the journey of learning skills in advancing recovery. Personally, I think recovery in mental health take courage, commitment and abundance of hope and I have to avoid all the barriers that would get in the way of advancing recovery practice as a mental health student.