Product Description

“Although there are a number of books of this nature, this book is clearly in a superior league, and is presented in a format which is easily read and accessible…It is very difficult to find criticism with this book as it serves to explore countless aspects providing a wealth of research, case studies and current policies and service provision…A must for all students.”
Mental Health Practice

"At last we have a book that grounds mental health nursing in the evidence. This comprehensive text combines both scholarship with ease of reading. The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on producing this excellent and valuable work."
Philip Burnard, Vice Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Cardiff University

“Norman and Ryrie provide an integrative account of the discipline that accommodates many origins, influences and practices. I feel sure this book will be of considerable benefit to undergraduate nursing students and to qualified nurses engaged in professional development activities. I also believe the book is necessary reading for those who train our nursing workforce.”
Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive, The Mental Health Foundation

"I think that if there was only one book I could suggest as an essential text for nursing students at any level, it would be this one. Lecturers, please note! It really is an excellent read."
Mental Health Nursing

• What are the foundations of mental health nursing as a practice discipline?
• What interventions do mental health nurses draw upon?
• How can mental health nurses engage clients as partners in care and promote their recovery?

Mental health nursing is an art and a science; concerned with both the therapeutic relationship between nurse and client and the skills required for evidence-based practice. Nurses need to find ways of integrating both these elements to meet service users’ demands and policy directives for mental health services.

This book provides an integrative account of mental health nursing, which incorporates its knowledge base and the practical skills required by nurses to meet the demands of national healthcare policy and service users’ expectations.

Pedagogy to support readers includes chapter overviews and summary points, questions for reflection, annotated bibliographies, and fascinating case studies and service users’ views to illustrate everyday clinical situations.

Essential reading for students, post-qualification mental health nurses and nurse lecturers.

Contributors:
Peter Ashton, Robin Basu, Geoff Brennan, Daniel Bressington, Alison Carolan, Joe Curran, Jacqueline Curthroys, Philip Fennell, Richard Ford, Catherine Gamble, Lina Gega, Richard Gray, Kevin Gournay, Susan Gurney, Simon Houghton, John Keady, Cheryl Kipping, Steve Morgan, Ian Norman, Ian Noonan, Kingsley Norton, Steve Onyett, Leah Ousley, Shaun Parsons, Rachel Perkins, Hagen Rampes, Julie Repper, Paul Rogers, Iain Ryrie, Susan Sookoo, Marc Thurgood, Gill Todd, Janet Treasure, Keith Tudor, Andrew Wetherell, Phil Woods.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #131096 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 872 pages

Health Service Journal, Thursday 26 August 2004
A hefty tome aiming to provide mental health nurses and students with a comprehensive overview of modern mental health nursing.

Mental Health Practice
...this book is clearly in a superior league...easily read and accessible...A must for all students.

Mental Health Nursing
...an essential text for nursing students at any level...Lecturers please note!...an excellent read in practice and in research.

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Customer Reviews

Review from a nurse tutor's perspective...
This book makes a key contribution to understanding the nature and context of modern mental health nursing in the UK today. It also points to the future direction of nursing practice and mental health care and a possible change of boundaries between nursing and other disciplines. There is a sense of purpose and coherence here which should make it attractive to nursing students, their mentors, tutors, and anyone interested in what "mental health nursing" is about.

The publisher's summary outlines the book's intentions:

"Mental health nursing is an art and a science; concerned with both the therapeutic relationship between nurse and client and the skills required for evidence-based practice. Nurses need to find ways of integrating both these elements to meet service users' demands and policy directives for mental health services...Pedagogy to support readers includes chapter overviews and summary points, questions for reflection, annotated bibliographies, and fascinating case studies and service users' views to illustrate everyday clinical situations."

The book is divided into five parts - Foundations, Interventions, Applications, Core Procedures and Future Directions. A key strength of this text is its integration of the recovery perspective, where the social consequences of becoming diagnosed as having a "mental health problem" or a "mental illness" is not seen as an obstacle to continuing to having a meaningful and fulfilling life.

The editors ground the text in current social policy and legal issues, as this is the real-world context of UK mental health nursing. The discussions of these issues are informative and provocative at times. The chapter on Mental Health Promotion, for example, includes a critical unpacking of how the concepts of "mental health" and "mental illness" in social policy and legislation are sometimes confused and contradictory - reflecting the reality of competing discourses in this field.

The book also focuses on therapeutic approaches which address specific mental health/illness issues, and outlines some of the key processes of intervention available to the mental health nurse. The role of pharmacological interventions is given an easy ride, however, and my own recent discussions with colleagues who are "service users" has reinforced the view that this is still a problematic area - a problem which isn't reflected in the text.

But I would still recommend this book as an excellent attempt to map the territory of current UK mental health nursing and to point to its future. It should help student mental health nurses - and others - to understand the complex context of the philosophies and policies they work within and to become more informed practitioners. It is also a useful toolbox of practical ideas and approaches. All in all, the publishers, editors and authors have taken on a very difficult task and have succeeded admirably in my judgment.

Phill Lister
Senior Lecturer (Mental Health)
Division of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Institute of Health and Social Care
University College Worcester

NO ONE BOOK COVERS EVERYTHING BUT THIS COMES CLOSEST
Speaking as a trained Mental Health Nurse and someone who qualified only last year I think I can state with some authority that where Students are concerned this is their Bible. MH nursing covers such a broad area that for one book to do it justice in one volume is extremely difficult but this book manages it successfully I believe.

It avoids the trap that other similiar works have fallen into (Phil Barker is a name that springs to mind) and incorporates differing viewpoints to great effect rather than trying to fit the whole corpus of Psychiatric thought into one square box and thereby affords a panoramic view of current thought and practice to the reader.

The book is divided thematically, starting with 'foundations' - which covers the history of MH nursing before moving on to more contempory concerns - and continues with 'interventions, 'applications,' 'core procedures,' and future directions.' This approach allows an opportunity to provide an overview of each subject without ever getting bogged down in too much detail.

In summary: this is an accessible volume perfect for MH nursing students (not to mention other interested parties) who want an introduction to the subject and a jumping off point for further study. It can suffice either as reference work to dip into as and when or be read cover-to-cover.

Excellent Buy
This book is ideal as a reference book for anyone doing mental health nurse training. It provides a good overview of everything you need to know throughout the course. If you're only going to buy one book buy this one!