Nurse's Person-Based Approach To Care

Person-centred care in the mental health setting is generally described as a holistic-based approach through which an attitude of utmost respect is shown by the care givers towards their patients as individuals, paying attention to their experiences, values and needs (Gask & Coventry, 2012). The term “person-centred” was first developed by American psychologist, Dr. Carl Rogers. Rogers (1956) explained how in order for the care giver to promote the individual’s autonomy and to aid them in their recovery, the creation of genuine, empathic relationships between care givers and their patients was more beneficial in comparison to previous approaches which relied on the basis of simply applying training to practice. Freeth (2007, p.15) highlights

Communication does not only mean being able to talk to the person, it also implies effective listening. According to Morrissey et al (2008), simply listening to the patient enables the individual to feel more comfortable with telling the nurse their mental health stories. A nurse can show their full capacity to communicate effectively with the service user by giving their complete attention to the individual through encouragement, like nodding and holding the client’s hand, if appropriate for the individual. It is essential that the nurse displays this sense of presence in their delivery of person-centred care as the client may feel uneasy in continuing with their story if they feel that the nurse has lost interest (Morrissey et al, 2008). Langewitz et al (1998, p.230) describes person-centred communication as “communication that invites and encourages the patient to participate and negotiate in decision-making regarding their own care”. Nurses who demonstrate empathic communication, such as showing sensitivity and understanding to their clients and limiting actions such as making assumptions about an individual’s wants and needs are emotionally engaging with the service users and as a result, the service users feel adequately cared for and less anxious (Morse et al, 1992). According to a study carried out by McCabe (2004), patients

According to WHO (2014), health promotion is described as an active practice through which the individual increases autonomy in regards to their own health which, in turn, increases their state of wellbeing physically, mentally and socially. In order for nurses to implement health promotion in an effective manner, they must consider what is influencing an individual in slowing down their progression of a healthier wellbeing. These factors can range from lack of life skills and lack of knowledge (Mutsatsa, 2015). In the mental health setting, the service user may feel powerless in regards to any health promotive techniques the nurse can offer. This is why empowerment in health promotion is key to individuals with mental health problems (Morrissey et al, 2008). In order to empower service users, nurses should apply health promotion theories to their approach to care (Mutsatsa, 2015). Theories include the Health Belief Model (Becker et al, 1974) and the Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977b). All these theories are based on actions by the nurse provide the service user with sufficient information that allows them to understand their health, triggers, their ability to improve and how they go about doing so. Nurses should also provide cognitive behavioural therapy in their approach to person-centred care when dealing with service users as it can have a positive impact on the way