The Advanced Practitioners' Guide to Integrating Physical and Mental Health: Introducing the Role of the Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurse

Abstract

Evidence within the literature highlights that staff within the general hospital wards are not necessarily equipped to assess and meet the needs of patients with mental health or behavioural problems. This is cause for concern as a number of people requiring admission to the general wards often have a complex, interrelated combination of physical and mental health problems. Within New Zealand there have also been a number of changes to health care policies that have increased general nurses contact with mental health patients over the last decade. The Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurse is an advanced nurse specialist who can meet this need. Having reviewed the literature and communicated with Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurses in New Zealand and Australia, it is clear that the availability of a mental health nurse within the District Health Board general wards would be advantageous to all. The role has been shown to positively influence the care of patients and benefit other health care professionals. It provides an improved system of care that is co-ordinated, integrated and responsive to the needs of patients and health care staff. The implementation of the Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurse role has the potential to cut costs in relation to decreasing length of stay with untreated mental health issues, and reduce the cost of continued use of 'specialling' unnecessarily. Also of importance is the fact that such a position would assist the District Health Board to comply with the standards of health care provision as directed by the Mental Health Commission and the Ministry of Health. The introduction of the Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurse role represents a change in traditional ways of providing general nursing and consequently there are a number of issues that may hinder its success. This dissertation increases the visibility of mental health nursing and provides a resource for others debating the development and implementation of the Mental Health Consultation Liaison Nurse role.