Maximising psychiatric nurses' contribution to interdisciplinary working

Abstract

Internationally, the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric care has resulted in expanded roles for mental health nurses within a community interdisciplinary team setting. This presents an opportunity for mental health nurses to improve service delivery. This opportunity also results in a more empowered nursing team. This article identifies change issues within one community psychiatric nursing team and the team's contribution to an improved service delivery where service users can avail of same day assessment for crisis referrals, a reduction in waiting times for assessment and co-ordinated delivery of care with an identified key worker utilizing a recovery model philosophy.