The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Process

When would the nurse use open ended questions?

Allow observation of patient’s verbal and nonverbal responses

When would the nurse use close-ended questions?

To elicit specific information

What may anemia present as?

Some changes in mental status including depression and psychosis

What might a B12 deficiency present as?

Psychosis, paranoia, fatigue, dementia, and delirium 

When should renal function be monitored?

When a patient is taking lithium

What may thyroid dysregulation present as?

Mania and anxiety

Mood

Prominent, sustained, overall emotions that the person expresses and exhibits. 

Euthymic Mood

A “normal” mood

Euphoric Mood

Elated

Labile Mood

Changeable

Dysphoric Mood

Depressed, disquieted, and restless

Affect

Refers to the person’s capacity to vary outward emotional expression

Insight

A person’s awareness of their own thoughts and feelings and ability to compare them with the thoughts and feelings of others

Clinical Judgement

The ability to reach a logical decision about a situation and to choose a course of action after examining and analyzing various possibilities

What must every mental health nursing assessment include?

A suicide screening

Milieu

The environment that the healing takes place in