Assessment and Decision Making in Mental Health Nursing: (Transforming Nursing Practice Series)

Assessment is an essential part of mental-health nursing and as such a core learning requirement for pre-registration nursing students. Getting assessment right is essential for the nursing student in order for them to become an effective practitioner. Many books on assessment are very theoretical. This is a practical, hands-on guide to the assessment process, underpinned by the latest evidence. The book explains the core principles through running case studies, so that readers can see how each decision they make impacts on the person in their care. Key features: Assessment principles are applied across a variety of modern nursing settings that you may find yourself working in as a registered nurse Each chapter is linked to the relevant NMC standards and Essential Skills Clusters so you know you are meeting the professional requirements Activities throughout help you to think critically and develop essential graduate skills.    

Table of Contents:
Introduction Introduction to Assessment Principles Engaging the Person Types of Assessment Challenges to Assessment Principles of Decision Making Outcomes of Assessment Consequences of Assessment

About the Author :
Sandra Walker is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Mental Health at Southampton University, where she is also a doctorate student researching the patient experience of the mental health assessment in the Emergency Department. She is a Qualified Mental Health Nurse with a wide range of clinical experience spanning more than 20 years. In addition to her university work Sandra is a professional musician and does voluntary work for various mental health organisations, including being the coordinator for the Hampshire Human Library – an international initiative aimed at reducing stigmatisation through interaction and education of the public. She is the creative director of The Sanity Company, which publishes books aimed at helping children and young people to develop good mental health and problem-solving skills. Diane Carpenter has a clinical background in Mental Health Nursing with a particular emphasis on acute care. She has taught mental health nurses and other health and social care professionals in academic and clinical environments since 1986. Her academic interests are diverse. She has a first degree in Public Sector (Health) Studies, which was primarily focused on social science broadly and public policy more specifically, and an MSc in Evidence Based Health Care from the University of Oxford – the focus of this research was suicide assessment. Her doctorate from the University of Portsmouth is in medical and social history. Diane is currently a Lecturer (Mental Health) and Programme Lead for the MSc Health Sciences. Yvonne Middlewick has been a lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton since 2006, where she teaches on pre- and post-registration courses. She is a dual registered nurse (Adult and Mental Health) and much of her clinical practice has involved working with older adults with complex health needs. A key aspect of this is being able to build relationships to enable staff to work effectively with patients and their carers in a collaborative, empowering way. Yvonne believes that, although you start developing the skills to work with people early in your education, it is a continual learning and development process that continues throughout your career and is shaped by your experiences.