title: [Reflection on the Differences and Similarities of Mental Health Care in Virginia and Taiwan: Geography, History, Culture, and Nurse Practitioners].
abstract: Sponsored by the pilot overseas internships project of the Ministry of Education, Taiwan, the authors and ten undergraduate students from Taiwan visited several mental health facilities in Virginia for one month. These facilities included the Catawba State Hospital, Salem Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Carilion Saint Albans Behavioral Health (New River Valley Medical Center), Warm Hearth Village, Adult & Child Family Counseling private outpatient clinic, the Free Clinic of the New River Valley, New Life Clubhouse, and Self-Government Program for Assertive Community Treatment. In-depth dialogue and participation in nursing care under the supervision of registered nurses facilitated the authors' reflection on mental health care and the roles and functions of Taiwanese nurse practitioners. The present article adopts a macro view in order to compare the related issues between Taiwan and Virginia, including: geographic features, history, culture of health-seeking behavior, healthcare insurance, and the relationships among various professionals. How these issues relate to social-cultural background and how the overall healthcare environment impacts upon the roles of nurse practitioners in Taiwan are rarely discussed in literature. We expect that this cross-cultural contrast and reflection will elicit a better understanding of how these factors have shaped and affected the roles of Taiwanese nurse practitioners. Further, suggestions about how to improve the nursing profession in Taiwan are presented.
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Chung Gung University of Science and Technology, and Associate Researcher, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chueh-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: MSN, RN, Instructor, Department of Nursing, Chung Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ching-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.affiliation: DNP, CNS, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Radford University, Virginia, USA, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ely
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D013624:Taiwan; D014768:Virginia
keywords: cross-culture; nurse practitioners; psychiatric mental health; reflection