In modern society, there is still a negative attitude towards the mentally ill and a peculiar fear of psychiatry. Most countries in the world are experiencing an acute shortage of nursing staff in the psychiatric service. The nurse mainly performs his or her duties in an automated manner. Work is limited to distribution of medication, injections, body temperature measurement, counselling, patient monitoring and safety. In general, it is done at the proper professional level. However, the emphasis is on the process of automatic performance of functional duties, and there is little attention to the patient’s personality. This approach does not allow for proper contact between the nurse and the patient since the work of the nurse is the basis, rather than the patient to whom the work is directed. To address the problem, it is proposed to focus more on direct psychotherapy and appropriate measures to improve nursing care. The use of Lewin’s change model will be relevant to achieving this goal. The expected outcome of the change will be an improvement in the quality and effectiveness of the treatment of patients with mental illness and their overall well-being.
It should be taken into account that psychiatric institutions treat patients with mental disorders. The above-described conditions and style of work of nurses lead to different kinds of tension, misunderstandings, collisions and complaints from patients and their relatives. A nurse’s psychological impact on a patient under such conditions is minimal or even counterproductive to the provision of regular health care. Nursing training programs have traditionally been aimed at mastering a database primarily related to biology, essential medicine and technical aspects of nursing. Psychiatry textbooks and training programs for nurses have existed in the form of concise medication options.
The shift in mental health services from “isolation” to the psychological partnership with patients has led to a need to rethink the role of the nurse in the provision of health and social care. Although a universal model of nursing care for mental health and psychiatry does not yet exist, it is essentially a definition formulated by the International Council of Nurses (“Nursing Definitions,” n.d.). The nurse’s practice of caring for mentally ill people is centered on the specific mental reactions and psychological problems that patients experience as a result of their mental illness (LaRock, 2018). Thus, the main tasks of nurses serving the mentally ill are psychotherapy and appropriate care.
Lewin’s change model is chosen as the model used to plan the change organization. The Kurt Lewin’s model (unfreezing, changing and refreezing) is widely accepted in psychology for implementing change (Hussain et al., 2018). The reason for choosing it is its effectiveness and relevance to the solution of similar problems. At the root of the problem are the historical misconceptions and outdated prejudices, for the elimination of which the chosen model fits well. It is necessary to determine the existing attitudes towards mentally ill patients in nurses and the available knowledge and skills of psychotherapy. During the implementation of the change, attention should be paid to the apparent need for this change, and it is crucial to consolidate the change as the norm when it is completed.
The leadership style that is chosen for the change is transformational. The reason for this choice is the very essence of the purpose of the change. This approach generates a mature workforce that is team-oriented, self-motivated and committed towards the organizational vision (Renjith & George, 2015). It is important to emphasize that the goal of the nurse’s work is to provide maximum potential for the patient’s recovery and rehabilitation. It is also essential to provide maximum comfort during his stay in the medical institution, both in physical and psychological aspects. Achieving this goal requires the combined efforts of all workers and their understanding of the nature and importance of this. The same arguments must be used to address the employees’ disagreement with the change. At the root of the change is not the increase in the workload of nurses, but the transformation of the specificity of the work towards a personalized, individualized, patient-centred approach. The measure of the effectiveness of this change may be the indicators of improvement in patients’ general well-being, mood, changes in the manifestation of symptoms of diagnosed disorders, compared with the indicators before the change. Also, the positive impact of this change may be the improvement of the recovery and rehabilitation of patients.
Nurses spend more time with patients than doctors and nursing staff. The effectiveness of nursing care for the mentally ill is directly proportional to the extent to which nurses share the daily life needs and experiences of patients. As a result, nurses occupy a special place in the system, which ensures the treatment process in that they are the first to learn about and respond to the aspirations and needs of patients. In addition to the technical skills needed to provide adequate care to the mentally ill, the nurse’s main activity is always to emphasize the ability to understand the patient’s personality and feelings, problems and difficulties. On the basis of this understanding, it is necessary to create specific relationships to improve the mental status of patients.
References
Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127.
LaRock, H. (2018). How Is a Nursing Career Related to Psychology? Houston Chronicle. Web.
Nursing Definitions. (n. d.). Web.
Renjith, V., G, R., & George, A. (2015). Transformational Leadership in Nursing. International Journal of Scientific Research & Management Studies, 2(2), 112-118. Web.