The value of community mental health nurses based in primary care teams: ‘switching the light on in a cellar’

The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to explore the main issues of psychiatric care reform in Greece and outline the operating way of the new residential structures of psychiatric care and rehabilitation; and (2) to focus on the implementation of mental health nursing roles in the primary care services such as supervisor-therapist, liaison, coordinator-crisis interventionist and counsellor-trainer within the context of a multidisciplinary therapeutic team. Given that multiple professionals are involved in mental health care in primary care, issues of role are likely to be crucial to the effective implementation of new workers. Moreover, there is existing evidence of ambiguity in the roles of different mental health professionals in primary care, relating to the problems they manage and the treatments they provide. The authors believe that more emphasis needs to be given to the mental health nursing specialty in Greece, because the large majority of patients requiring mental health care should have the possibility of taking better quality of care as the psychiatric structures at community are continuously developing.

“…Primary care settings are taking centre stage in the provision of services to people with mental health problems (Crawford et al . 2001).…”

Section: Organization and Operation Of New Psychiatric Units In Greecementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greek psychiatric care reform: new perspectives and challenges for community mental health nursing

Bellali

Kalafati

2006

“…Although some authors have identified CMHNs as able to make a significant contribution to improving client care (Crawford et al . 2001), others have noted that little attention has been paid to their selection and preparation (Hannigan 1997, Mead et al .…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of the work and values of community mental health nurses in two mental health NHS Trusts

Nolan

Haque

Bourke

et al. 2004

Self Cite

With the reconfiguration of health services in both the primary and secondary sectors, the role of community mental health nurses (CMHNs) has become a highly contested one within mental health care. There would be great variability in the skills that CMHNs possess, the contexts in which they work and the nature of the work they do. This study sought to explore aspects of the work of those nurses who provide services at the interface between policy and practice. Two groups of CMHNs were compared, one working in an urban setting (Trust A) and the other in a rural (Trust B), focusing particularly on caseloads and client mix, the values held by CMHNs, the models of care they utilize and what they consider would improve care in the future. A specially designed 39-item questionnaire was employed, with a mix of open and closed questions, and statements to which participants were asked to respond on a three-point Likert scale. The findings raised interesting issues around collaborative working, whether CMHNs are happy to take on clients previously on their caseload, bureaucratization, autonomy, role definition within a culture of working with primary care, lack of specific models utilized by CMHNs, and the demand for greater training and educational support. The implications of the study are discussed with the aim of assisting mental health nurses determine their future roles.

“…This is only possible if they are properly resourced as the increased presentation of transient mental health problems can result in CPNs having limited time for those with severe mental illness, who may present in lesser numbers but will have more complex needs. Primary care teams appear to welcome input from CPNs and there have been a number of studies that demonstrate this (Corney 1999, Crawford et al . 2001).…”

Section: Community Psychiatric Nurses (Cpns)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Community psychiatric nursing: focus on effectiveness

Cunningham

Slevin

2005

The focus for provision of mental health services is now the community in most developed countries. Different ways of organizing community mental health services are evident in the literature. Community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) have a key role to play in these services but the literature indicates that the CPN role varies from area to area within different models of service provision. This paper presents the findings of a study in which 13 service users and 15 CPNs in five focus groups discussed the effectiveness of mental health service. Selected staff and service users were chosen from a representative range of community mental health services across Northern Ireland. Service users expressed concern at the variety of CPN and other professional roles within multidisciplinary teams and some CPNs expressed dissatisfaction with their role and with role boundaries within teams. These findings suggest that further work is needed within community mental health services to ensure the role of the CPN remains effective and develops to meet the needs of service users.