What is the importance of mental health to nursing practice?

Even if you are not a psych nurse I believe that it is important for all nurses to familiarize with just about all aspects of nursing. You are going to run into people in a nursing practice that are mentally ill and then what do you do? Instead of trying to find out that persons medical history and see if they are on any kind of meds for a mental illness do you find it easier to ship them to the psych floor instead of telling the doctor that the patient is bipolar and needs to be put back on there meds to stabilize them? A trained nurse should especially know a persons mental health in order to further help them in getting better so that they can go home. I feel it is important.

Well you shoundt be insane if your going to practice any type of medicine, evne if yuor just a nurse.

long hours.. odd hours.. low pay.. low respect.. other people body secretions..

ya kiddin me?

Mental health is important in every field.

It is important because you are faced with death everyday.

You may get used to seeing people die.. but most people do not get used to watching how the living ones cry over the dead family.. and sometimes, they turn abusive and keep asking you why did you not save their father, mother, sister.. etc.. it can get hard to stay sane if someone is easily emotionally affected..

Sometimes you also get emotionally attached to the patients and they become your friends. It is always painful to watch the people you care about die..

Well, I am not a nurse.. the above is what my friends who are nurses tell me.. :)