Answer
Personal Reflection
Part 1: Role Of Mental Health Nurse

The mental well-being of an individual impacts their overall well-being, health outcomes, their recovery and quality of life (Bonnin et al., 2019). Therefore, it becomes crucial for a mental health nurse to not only provide systematic care but also to ensure comprehensive support.  As a future mental health nurse, I was able to gauge an even more nuanced understanding of the same through this course.  This discussion will reflect on my learnings of the role of mental healthcare nurse and the importance of reflection. 

The role of the mental health nurse in care facilities and professional care extends to a range of roles.  A mental health nurse is a professional who spends the maximum time with patients and thus plays a crucial role in building trust and facilitating care (Agner et al., 2020).  This was also highlighted to me when I was learning about the importance of therapeutic communication and reflections in the process of care.  I was able to understand the importance of communication as a mental health nurse in terms of its role in building relationships in care and also in understanding the care needs of the patients to provide holistic care and support (Foster et al., 2020).  The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the International Code of Nursing assert the significance of communication in therapeutic care and patient support (Halcomb et al., 2018).  Hence, as a future mental health nurse, it is crucial to understand its significance and ensure its application. 

Another essential aspect of effective mental health nursing is to be able to reflect and introspect.  Being able to understand the individual aspects of care and introspection.  It is only through reflection that an individual is able to assess their real-life situations, introspect through them and identify their strengths and limitations and further develop an improvement plan.  Through the course learnings and allied information, I was able to understand that reflection has a major role to play in improved mental healthcare support and need. Every patient has individual psychological needs, and with reflective practice, I could develop a better understanding of human emotions and psychological perspectives and develop better responses and promote better care and support to mental health patients. 

One of the most important things I’ve taken away from my course is that I’m more mature in my outlook on life and how I perceive individuals with mental health disorders.  I’ve realized that instead of taking things at face value, understanding their motives and focusing on psychological well-being are crucial.  Hence, I’m now more analytical, and I’m more conscious of the complicated psychological needs of individuals.  I have been able to understand that the well-being of an individual is complex and mental health plays a primary role in it.  As a future professional that aims to provide competent care and support, I have been able to gauge the importance of therapeutic relationships in care.  I will apply these learnings in my future practice and will also focus on my continuous development by engaging with recent research and evidence-based practice. 

Mental health care and support is the essential component of well-being of an individual. This document provides a reflective summary of the role of mental health nurses and the importance of reflective practice in developing professional capacity for a future mental health nurse.

References

Agner, J., Barile, J. P., Botero, A., Cha, T., Herrera, N., Kakau, T. M., … & Hawaii Clubhouse Coalition. (2020). Understanding the role of mental health clubhouses in promoting wellness and health equity using Pilinah?—An indigenous framework for health. American Journal of Community Psychology, 66(3-4), 290-301. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajcp.12457

Bonnín, C. D. M., Reinares, M., Martínez-Arán, A., Jiménez, E., Sánchez-Moreno, J., Solé, B., … & Vieta, E. (2019). Improving functioning, quality of life, and well-being in patients with bipolar disorder. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 22(8), 467-477. 

https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article-abstract/22/8/467/5475185 

Foster, K., Roche, M., Giandinoto, J. A., & Furness, T. (2020). Workplace stressors, psychological well?being, resilience, and caring behaviours of mental health nurses: A descriptive correlational study. International journal of Mental Health Nursing, 29(1), 56-68. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inm.12610 

Halcomb, E. J., McInnes, S., Moxham, L., & Patterson, C. (2018). Mental health practice standards for nurses in Australian general practice. Government of Australia. https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=uowbooks