Competencies and Roles of Community Mental Health Nurses

Abstract

<p>Community mental health nurses practice in a range of behavioral health care settings, including community mental health centers, detoxification centers, group homes for individuals with mental retardation or serious mental illnesses, and residential substance abuse treatment programs. As the population for whom they care grows and ages and with an increase in comorbid conditions, different skills may be needed or different roles may require emphasis. This can present challenges related to role competencies and nursing preparation and to the allocation of their time. The overall purposes of this project were to compare the competencies of basic and advanced practice nurses with accepted psychiatric-mental health nursing competencies and to assess the nurses’ roles and division of work time among various roles. The findings support the need for changes related to nursing roles and job descriptions. Specific recommendations have been implemented based on the findings. </p> <h4>ABOUT THE AUTHORS</h4> <p>Ms. Kudless is Deputy Director, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, Fairfax, Virginia; and Dr. White is Vera E. Bender Professor of Nursing and Associate Dean, School of Nursing, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York.</p> <p>The authors acknowledge the excellent manuscript assistance provided by Susan M. Donovan.</p> <p>The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.</p> <p>Address correspondence to Mary W. Kudless, MSN, APRN, BC, Deputy Director, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, 12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 836, Fairfax, VA 22035; e-mail: <a href="mailto:marykudless@comcast.net">marykudless@comcast.net</a>.</p>

The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program: desirable knowledge, skills and attitudes from the perspective of nurses

“…The identified skills are not unique to practice under the MHNIP. This may reflect the view that skills represent the application of knowledge across different contexts (Kudless & White 2007, Keady 2008, Thompson et al 2008, McConachie & Whitford 2009, Nash 2009, Reid-Searl et al 2009). The specific context of the MHNIP requires MHNs to adapt their skill base to an environment that is fundamentally different to public mental health services.…”

“…Previous studies have determined the expectations of MHNs on graduation (Patterson et al 2008, Kenny et al 2009) from the perspective of mental health service clients (Rydon 2005, Bee et al 2008) and in various situationspecific roles (for example Kudless & White 2007, Keady 2008, Thompson et al 2008, McConachie & Whitford 2009, Nash 2009, Reid-Searl et al 2009), and the majority of these suggest the skills required for MHNs are somewhat situation specific. There has been some acknowledgement of the need for additional skills in advanced MHN roles (McDonough et al 2003, Elsom et al 2007); however, these skills have not been articulated or explored in detail.…”

Development Of Community Psychiatric Crisis Management Indicators And Assessment Framework In Taiwan: A Focus Group Study

“…In particular, the assessment on occurrence of violence in patients, as well as crises and risks, is the core of crisis management, and its objective is to ensure the safety of patients, communities, and healthcare workers (Sands, 2012). Therefore, the work of community psychiatric care is not only to monitor the changes in patients' psychiatric symptoms, assess their regular medication treatment, prevent disease progression, and manage risk factors, but also to aggressively form an alliance among community, patients, and family members to reduce family members' stress of taking care of patients and strengthen community residents' understanding of psychiatric disorders (Kudless & White, 2007).…”

Oxymoronic or synergistic: Deconstructing the psychiatric and/or mental health nurse

“…Porter () has argued that post‐institutional mental health nursing is splitting into different specialties. Kudless and White () point out the community mental health nurses function in a range of behavioural health‐care settings, and those different roles require different skills and competencies. Norman and Howell (, p. 560) noted that different camps have polarized the debate about the nature of mental health nursing, with one camp promoting the uniqueness of mental health nursing, and the other seeing it as a function that is shaped by a multidisciplinary mental health service that can be fulfilled by anyone.…”