Unit 7 D1

A C1.2

Nurses work alongside other multi-disciplinary professionals such as occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and doctors (O’Carroll and Park 2007). All healthcare professional are regulated by their individual professional bodies and are equipped to work with mental health patients. In reality, there should be no difference in the roles of each staff as the roles of healthcare professional are governed by rules and regulations (NMC, 2015).

A MHN and a social worker are different in several ways, particularly if the Social worker is a direct service social worker as against the clinical. The differences are: educational and licensing, employment earnings or income, the approval of recommended medication and other medical

For example, nurses work with patients 24 hours of a day, 365 days a year while other professionals are likely to work a 9-5 shift and will often not work at weekends. This makes mental health nurses to have more contact time with patients.

Another difference is that nurses provide holistic care, unlike a social worker who deals with the social needs of a patient. In spite of the differences in roles, all healthcare professionals work together as a team to provide care for patients. In recent times, studies have investigated in the divergence of nursing and social work and the overlapping activities (Kronenfeld, 2009). The MHN principally deals with the physical and psychological well-being of patients in terms of clinical diagnoses, medication and reviews, adherence and psychological therapies.

Sommers et al (1992) emphasised on the communication techniques of MHN and Social workers in their interactions with General Practitioners (GPs). Sheppard pointed out that MHN contacted GPs more frequently than Social workers and the rationale for contact often differs. Generally, MHN get in touch with the GPs for the patient’s condition and treatments. On the other hand, Social workers contact GPs for the outcome of cases, resorted treatment plans or family

Supervision provides nurses with the opportunity to be able to reflect and review their own actions or inaction (self-awareness) within the clinical practice (Bush 2005; Care Quality Commission (2013). However, lack of supervision or poor supervision has detrimental effects (such as mistakes, injuries, incidents and death) which may impact on patient care. Significant failures in care in the early 1990s brought about the start of clinical supervision and two examples of such cases include the Bristol heart surgery tragedy and cervical screening mistakes at Kent and Canterbury hospital (Cottrell and Smith,