The mental health nurse practitioner in the emergency department: an Australian experience.
This paper describes the establishment of a mental health nurse practitioner (MHNP) position in New South Wales, Australia. The authors report on a MHNP role that functions collaboratively within a large inner city emergency department. Attention is centred on what constitutes advanced mental health nursing practice in the emergency department setting. Three areas associated with the work of MHNPs--therapeutic techniques, prescribing and care coordination and referral--are highlighted to explore the scope of the MHNP role. The authors propose that the success of this position is based on a process of consultation and evaluation, partnership between disciplines and clinical services and the role maintaining a truly nursing focus rather than attempting to replace or replicate psychiatric medicine.
Wand
Timothy
T
Emergency Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. twand@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
Fisher
Jacklin
J
D002983:Clinical Competence; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007587:Job Description; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009517:New South Wales; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration