The California Hospital Association (CHA) and the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (California ACEP) are advocating defining the roles of providers of mental healthcare services. They want to clarify when a 72-hour mental health hold begins and ends. The groups want a liaison on position that helps improve communication between county mental health services and health care facilities (CHA, n.d.). CHA and California ACEP feel it is important to include language in the bill to assure counties complete prompt evaluations of patients presenting with in a mental health crisis. Opposition The leading concern among opposition groups to the Mental Health Involuntary Commitment Bill is a fear that hospitals will …show more content…
Although emergency department nurses may not feel comfortable providing care to these patients, they have a duty to respect their inherent dignity, worth, and human rights (ANA, 2015). Improving nurse’s skills and knowledge in the care of the psychiatric patient can improve the nurse’s comfort and overall quality of care for the patient. Nurses also have a duty to protect the rights, health and safety for their patients (ANA, 2015). It is important for nurses to maintain the privacy of mental health patient, so the patient will not be hesitant to seek treatment prior to reaching a state of crisis. Nurses have a duty to maintain patient autonomy and inherent dignity while being responsible to prevent harm to patients and staff (ANA, 2012). This balance can be challenging when providing care to a patient in a mental health crisis. Nurses can reduce the risk of violence and need to restrain a patient by developing and utilizing skills in …show more content…
AB 1300 protects patient rights by assuring the least restrictive treatment options are provided to the patient in a timely manner. When a patient requires a 72-hour involuntary mental health hold, the bill outlines when the hold begins and ends. MHIC assures the law is applied in a consistent and just manner. The bill will help improve nurse’s knowledge and comfort in caring for patients with a mental health disorder through the use of a liaison that will improve communication between the county mental health services and hospitals. By assuring patients are evaluated in a timely manner, MHIC will reduce the time some patients are under more restrictive measure than they need. Timely evaluations will ensure patients are cared for in the correct environment, decreasing their risk of escalation and