Importance of Interpersonal Skills in Nursing

Discuss about the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders System.

The ability of a nurse to effectively communicate with a patient is crucial in ensuring a successful patient-nurse relationship. Nurses need to possess good interpersonal skills to help them in interacting and communicating with their patients. The environment of healthcare can be so demanding at times due to how busy every practitioner can get, and this can create stress and agitation. It is therefore important that physicians equip themselves with advanced interpersonal skills in order to address any misunderstanding that may arise during an interview with the patient (Bach & Grant, 2015). In this section, we aim to discuss some of the key interpersonal skills that a nurse should possess when interviewing a patient like Barry.

One of the vital interpersonal skills that a nurse should possess is good communication skills. The outcomes of an interview depend on good communication between the nurse and his/her patient. Good communication skills involve a physician encouraging open communication which ensures that the nurse obtains complete information (Ross, 2012). Additionally, open communication enhances the possibility of a better diagnosis and also facilitates accurate counseling. This may eventually improve adherence to plans of treatment thus leading to long-term health benefits. Open communication increases the involvement of the patient in their healthcare through the building of consensus and negotiation with the nurse.

Another interpersonal skill that is important in the nursing profession is the ability to listen. Good listening skills enable the nurse to understand the cues spoken by the patient and their family. This, in turn, helps the nurse to determine the patient’s needs that help to ensure an accurate and successful diagnosis (Stein-Parbury, 2013). Additionally, listening gives the patient the motivation to open up about their condition because they have the confidence that the nurse is willing to listen to all their problems and thus improving diagnosis.

Interpersonal skills are very important when interviewing patients with similar conditions to Barry. These skills help to build confidence and to facilitate effective communication with their patients. Good interactions improve the process of diagnosis and ensure that the most accurate results are obtained, thus improving patient care. As a result, the adherence to the plan of treatment is improved for the benefit of the patient’s health. The above discussed interpersonal skills will thus ensure a successful interview with Barry, which will be crucial in assessing his condition and recommending the most appropriate medication.

Symptoms of Mental Health Disorder in Barry

Mental health disorder can be described as a condition that may cause mild or severe disturbances in behaviors and thoughts which may eventually result in an inability of an individual to cope with the normal routines and demands of life (Elder, Evans & Nizette, 2008). This condition is not as rare as some people may choose to believe. In fact, it is common and affects approximately 54 million Americans annually at least to some extent (Reeves et al., 2011).  Some of the common conditions that may be associated with a mental disorder include dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression among others. Some of the symptoms of mental health disorder may include social withdrawal and changes in mood (Fontaine, 2009). In this section, we will discuss some of the symptoms displayed by Barry that could justify the possibility of a mental health disorder.

From Barry’s scenario, we notice that he seems restless, anxious and is always looking around. Feeling anxious could be normal but it could also be a sign of mental health illness if it is frequent and interferes with the patient’s attention constantly like in the case of Barry (Seitz, Purandare & Conn, 2010). Further assessment of Barry indicates that he experiences shortness of breath, stomach upsets, and heart palpitations that are all symptoms of anxiety. His actions seem agitated and restless, a further indication of anxiety.

Additionally, Barry experiences sleeping problems that is another sign of mental health illness. Averagely, adults require between 7-9 hours of sleep daily, but sleep disturbances can interrupt an individual’s sleeping patterns. Barry does not abuse any substances, therefore, ruling out substance abuse as a cause of difficulties in sleeping. However, from the patient assessment, we notice that Barry is anxious and anxiety can cause sleep disturbances.

Finally, he is worried about his adult children, and such worries may cause depression, which is another symptom of mental health illness. He even feels powerless and thinks there is nothing he can do to help his children overcome their problems. This feeling of worthlessness may act as an alert to mental health illness. He expresses a feeling of lack of motivation and energy which may indicate that he is struggling with depression. 

Mental health illness is a serious problem that may affect everyone and it is not as rare as people might think. Mentally ill patients may display a range of symptoms that may include depression, anxiety, and sleeping problem among others. It is important to properly assess these symptoms to ascertain the possibility of a mental health disorder.

Clinical Interventions for Mentally Ill Patients

Clinical interventions are the therapeutic programs that are aimed at providing assistance to the mentally ill patients. They include several professional methods that are designed to help a patient experiencing mentally related problems that they may not handle on their own. These interventions are important because they prevent the illness from aggravating. Mental illness can get worse to the point of a patient having suicidal thoughts. Clinical interventions thus prevent the situation from getting to that level (Proctor et al., 2009). This section aims at discussing some of the clinical interventions that can be used in the case of Barry to prevent aggravation of his mental condition.

One of the available clinical interventions to address Barry’s case is a psychological evaluation. This intervention involves a thorough assessment and screening of the patient. The process may take several hours and numerous sessions to complete (Bonney & Stickley, 2008). It is particularly useful in cases where the nurse is unsure about the reasons behind Barry’s struggle with depression and other symptoms like sleep disturbances. The psychological evaluation can help in providing useful information regarding the patient. Some of the information that can be revealed by this evaluation include the severity of the signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression, issues that Barry might be struggling with, insight into the personality style of Barry, negative and positive styles of coping among others (Duncan, Best & Hagen, 2008).

Another clinical intervention may be psychiatric hospitalization which may provide the highest level of treatment. The setting of a hospital provides a locked environment with clinical supervision that ensures patient safety. This intervention helps in dealing with variations in mood or behavior of the patient that may include depression and anxiety (Harvath et al., 2008). The treatment in psychiatric hospitals is normally intense and fast thus ensuring that the length of stay within the hospital is not prolonged (Videbeck & Videbeck, 2013). After stabilizing the patient, the hospital develops a plan for continued care to ensure patient safety (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health UK., 2010). The patients are also given the opportunity to engage in several activities while in the hospital. Some of these activities may include psychological testing, art and occupational therapies, group therapy, and individual therapy.

Clinical interventions are meant to help the patient and prevent the condition from aggravating. The interventions as discussed above help in providing quality care and ensuring patient safety.  It is important that the nurse critically assesses and evaluates the patient’s condition to determine the best nursing intervention for the mentally ill patient. The above interventions will help Barry to resume his normal state of mind.

Adherence to Medication Therapies

Strict adherence to medication therapies is important for the patient because it ensures that the patient takes the right dosage of the medicine at the right time and over the appropriate duration. It is also important to note that improved adherence to the therapies of medication ensures better medical outcomes and reduces the rate at which an individual makes trips back to the hospital for subsequent occurrences of the same medical conditions (Kane & Shaya, 2008).

The patient should, therefore, be educated on taking medications in addition to learning more about the medications they take. It is advisable to seek a practitioner’s clarifications whenever you are unsure about a particular medication (Morisky, Ang, Krousel?Wood & Ward, 2008). Below, we will discuss the information about venlafaxine 75mg that Barry should receive from the nurse before leaving the clinic.

Venlafaxine is a type of antidepressant that affects the unbalanced chemicals in the brain of an individual suffering from depression. The nurse should inform Barry not to use the medicine within seven days before or fourteen days after taking an MAO inhibitor as such drugs may react with venlafaxine to cause serotonin syndrome (Morisky et al., 2008). The nurse should additionally inform Barry that he risks suffering a relapse of depression if he stops taking the medication without the doctor’s advice.

Another information that the nurse could relay to the patient is how he should take the medication. Venlafaxine is supposed to be taken with food and for good results, the patient should try to take it at the same time each and every day. Additionally, Venlafaxine is not chewed nor crushed but taken as a whole (Bauer, Tharmanathan, Volz, Moeller & Freemantle, 2009). This medication is also believed to be a cause of impaired judgment and reactions. The patient should, therefore, avoid driving while using Venlafaxine.

Other possible side effects of this medication that the patient needs to be informed about include increased sweating, fast heartbeats, dizziness, nausea, and sleep disturbances accompanied by weird dreams among others (Bauer et al., 2009). Barry needs to report all these signs to the doctor in any case they start appearing.

Quality patient care is very important in ensuring a speedy healing process. One of the ways of ensuring quality care is by providing the patient with all the information regarding medication before they leave the hospital. Such information ensures that the patient leaves with a full knowledge of the medication and thus helping them to appropriately use the drugs. This helps in attaining the maximum benefits of the medication for own safety.

References

Bach, S., & Grant, A. (2015). Communication and interpersonal skills in nursing. Learning Matters.

Bauer, M., Tharmanathan, P., Volz, H. P., Moeller, H. J., & Freemantle, N. (2009). The effect of venlafaxine compared with other antidepressants and placebo in the treatment of major depression. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 259(3), 172-185.

Bonney, S., & Stickley, T. (2008). Recovery and mental health: a review of the British literature. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 15(2), 140-153.

Duncan, E., Best, C., & Hagen, S. (2008). Shared decision making interventions for people with mental health conditions. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1.

Elder, R., Evans, K., & Nizette, D. (2008). Psychiatric and mental health nursing. Elsevier Australia.

Fontaine, K. L. (2009). Mental health nursing. Prentice Hall.

Harvath, T. A., Swafford, K., Smith, K., Miller, L. L., Volpin, M., Sexson, K., … & Young, H. A. (2008). Enhancing nursing leadership in long-term care: A review of the literature. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 1(3), 187-196.

Kane, S., & Shaya, F. (2008). Medication non-adherence is associated with increased medical health care costs. Digestive diseases and sciences, 53(4), 1020-1024.

Morisky, D. E., Ang, A., Krousel?Wood, M., & Ward, H. J. (2008). Predictive validity of a medication adherence measure in an outpatient setting. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 10(5), 348-354.

National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (UK. (2010). Depression: the treatment and management of depression in adults (updated edition). British Psychological Society.

Proctor, E. K., Landsverk, J., Aarons, G., Chambers, D., Glisson, C., & Mittman, B. (2009). Implementation research in mental health services: an emerging science with conceptual, methodological, and training challenges. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 36(1), 24-34.

Reeves, W. C., Strine, T. W., Pratt, L. A., Thompson, W., Ahluwalia, I., Dhingra, S. S., … & Morrow, B. (2011). Mental illness surveillance among adults in the United States. MMWR Surveill Summ, 60(Suppl 3), 1-29.

Ross, L. (2012). Interpersonal skills education for undergraduate nurses and paramedics. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 4(11), 655-661.

Seitz, D., Purandare, N., & Conn, D. (2010). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among older adults in long-term care homes: a systematic review. International Psychogeriatrics, 22(7), 1025-1039.

Stein-Parbury, J. (2013). Patient and person: Interpersonal skills in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences management.

Videbeck, S., & Videbeck, S. (2013). Psychiatric-mental health nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.