Advanced Practice in Mental Health Nursing

Mental health issues continue to be high on international health care agendas. There are no simple solutions to the challenges posed by people exhibiting mental disorders. In this dynamic area of nursing, there are many changes taking place, with the continuing provision of care for mentally ill people within the community and mental health nurses assuming greater responsibility for managing therapeutic interventions. "Advanced Clinical Practice in Mental Health Nursing" reflects those areas where nurses are assuming greater responsibility at a practice level. The text tackles conceptual, professional and clinical issues from an international perspective, linking together similar trends in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. The text is divided into three sections: the context of practice; approaches to practice; and clinical issues. The first section concentrates on the move from "patient" to consumer of mental health services and the implications this has had on practice. The second section examines therapeutic skills and the therapeutic alliance between nurse and client. The last section examines the current challenges with specific client groups: the depressed, elderly, children and adolescents, and clients with personality disorders.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: The context of practice ; Chapter 1: Recovery and Mental Health Nursing (Clinton & Nelson), (conceptualisation of practice, social/historical context from an international perspective drawing on literature from the four countries of the contribution authors and introducing the themnes assressed in the text); Chapter 2: The Changing Role of the Consumer (Jewell), (socio/political perspectives that address issues of consumer status, power and influences on the mental health sectors of the four countries of the contributing authors); Chapter 3: Mental Health Workers (Gournay), (social/service/professional and generic developments in the mental health workforce and their implications for the distinctiveness of mental health nursing practice in rapidly changing environments); Chapter 4: Mental Health Nursing within a Legal Framework (Minto); Part 2: Appraches to practice Chapter 5: Social Skill Training (Stein), (assumptions and methodologies that empower consumers of mental health services and destigmatize people with a mental illness); Chapter 6: Community Care (Pyke), (social aspects of the case management role with particular attention to the development and use of cummunity resources); Chapter 7: The Therapeutic Alliance (Speedy), (interpersonal aspects of the nurse-client relationship from the perspective of the values and professional skills of mental health nurses drawing on exemplars of international best practice); Part 3: Clinical Issues Chapter 8: Depresion - A Need for Nursing (Barker); (illustration of moral conceptions of the therapeutic role of mental health nurses demonstrated through an in-depth analysis of the needs of people with depression); Chapter 9: Gerontology - A Case of Neglect (Reed/Clarke), (frank discussion of the limitations on nursing practice and the strategies mental health nurses have developed to address areas of unmet need); Chapter 10: Personality Disorder - A Case of Avoidance (Gallop), (examination of mental health nursing practice with perhaps the most challenging groups of clients, those with a personalithy disorder, and the methods mental health nurses are developing to overcomne the avoidance many nurses use to distance themselves from this client group); Chapter 11: Forensic Mental Health Nursing - An increasingly important speciality (Morrison), (consideration of the response of mental health sectors to the needs of forensic client and the role of mental health nurses); Chapter 12: Child and Adolescence - A True Speciality? (Evans), (close examination of the issue of specialization in mental health nursing practice with these clients. Consideration of practice with child and adolescent clients).

Review :
"I would recommend [this book] to all mental health nurses wanting to make a difference." Martin Ward, Health Service Journal 1999 "A fascinating and challenging collection of perspectives on clinical, theoretical and policy issues facing mental health nurses, matched with inspiring descriptions of innovative in-practice solutions." "Overall, this is an inspiring and thought-provoking volume for all and any practitioners." Tracey Frudd, Mental Health Care, 1999 "Overall, the book draws on a range of international expertise to provide an eclectic view of the bio-psychosocial approach to mental health problems. It should be compulsory reading for all nurses because it brings together consumer, professional and academic perspectives on mental health nursing practice." Roy Riseborough, Nursing Standard, 1999