Mental Health and Wellbeing in Clinical
Practice
Your patient/consumer has asked you to describe ways in which they can promote and maintain positive
mental health. What would you share with them? - correct answer -Talk about and
express your feelings with friends and family.
-Participate in regular physical exercise.
-Eat nutritious meals regularly.
-Ensure that you are getting adequate, good quality sleep.
-Spend quality time with your friends and loved ones.
-Set realistic, achievable goals for yourself.
The patient/consumer has experienced stigma due to their mental illness on the previous admission to
hospital. What is meant by stigma associated with mental illness; and describe the potential effects of
stigma for this patient/consumer. - correct answer -More than just negative
connotations that surrounding mental illness; stigma invokes rejection, harmful stereotyping, and
discrimination against the person with mental illness. Stigma often exists as a result of lack of
understanding about mental illness, or negative attitudes and beliefs towards mental illness.
-The person experiencing stigma may be discriminated against, resulting in them missing out on work or
housing, or may become bullied/ a victim of violence. It may also mean they do not seek treatment
when they need it.
Describe five (5) barriers to engagement from the patient/consumer perspective that may subsequently
impact on the patient-nurse/midwife therapeutic relationship. - correct answer -
Distrust.
-Stigma.
-Fear
-The mental illness itself.
-Poor accessibility to services.
You, the nurse/midwife are practising from a trauma informed care approach. Outline what trauma
informed care is; and the importance of this approach in health care for people living with mental
, disorders. - correct answer -TIC is a universal precaution approach which assumes
all people who seek mental health care may have experienced trauma at some point in their lives. It is a
strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of
trauma.
-Encourages nurses/midwives to be sensitive towards the vulnerabilities and potential triggers that may
give rise to traumatisation, and to be aware of how this may impede recovery.
You, the nurse/midwife are promoting recovery informed practice for the patient in your care. Describe
the common characteristics of recovery in mental health care. - correct answer -
Connectedness: a feeling of belonging within the community. The presence of others who believe in the
person's potential to recover.
-Hope: client is optimistic for the future and with a sustained belief in themselves.
-Identity: client recovers a durable sense of self which may have previously been lost of taken away.
-Meaning: finding purpose in life.
-Empowerment: self-determination and promotion of capacity for autonomous decision making.
Identify professional qualities and skills that will assist you (the nurse/midwife) in building rapport and
subsequently the therapeutic relationship with the patient/consumer in your care. - correct answer
-Empathy.
-Emotional objectivity.
-Emotional intelligence.
-Self-awareness.
-Critical thinking.
-Being able to read and identify the signs and signals others give (both verbal and body language).
Describe five (5) barriers to engagement from the nurse/midwife perspective, that may impact on the
therapeutic relationship and subsequent care of the patient/consumer. - correct answer
-Time constraints.
-Personal discomfort.
-Knowledge/skills deficit.
-Lacking empathy.
-Clinician perpetuated stigma/labelling/judgement.
Practice
Your patient/consumer has asked you to describe ways in which they can promote and maintain positive
mental health. What would you share with them? - correct answer -Talk about and
express your feelings with friends and family.
-Participate in regular physical exercise.
-Eat nutritious meals regularly.
-Ensure that you are getting adequate, good quality sleep.
-Spend quality time with your friends and loved ones.
-Set realistic, achievable goals for yourself.
The patient/consumer has experienced stigma due to their mental illness on the previous admission to
hospital. What is meant by stigma associated with mental illness; and describe the potential effects of
stigma for this patient/consumer. - correct answer -More than just negative
connotations that surrounding mental illness; stigma invokes rejection, harmful stereotyping, and
discrimination against the person with mental illness. Stigma often exists as a result of lack of
understanding about mental illness, or negative attitudes and beliefs towards mental illness.
-The person experiencing stigma may be discriminated against, resulting in them missing out on work or
housing, or may become bullied/ a victim of violence. It may also mean they do not seek treatment
when they need it.
Describe five (5) barriers to engagement from the patient/consumer perspective that may subsequently
impact on the patient-nurse/midwife therapeutic relationship. - correct answer -
Distrust.
-Stigma.
-Fear
-The mental illness itself.
-Poor accessibility to services.
You, the nurse/midwife are practising from a trauma informed care approach. Outline what trauma
informed care is; and the importance of this approach in health care for people living with mental
, disorders. - correct answer -TIC is a universal precaution approach which assumes
all people who seek mental health care may have experienced trauma at some point in their lives. It is a
strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of
trauma.
-Encourages nurses/midwives to be sensitive towards the vulnerabilities and potential triggers that may
give rise to traumatisation, and to be aware of how this may impede recovery.
You, the nurse/midwife are promoting recovery informed practice for the patient in your care. Describe
the common characteristics of recovery in mental health care. - correct answer -
Connectedness: a feeling of belonging within the community. The presence of others who believe in the
person's potential to recover.
-Hope: client is optimistic for the future and with a sustained belief in themselves.
-Identity: client recovers a durable sense of self which may have previously been lost of taken away.
-Meaning: finding purpose in life.
-Empowerment: self-determination and promotion of capacity for autonomous decision making.
Identify professional qualities and skills that will assist you (the nurse/midwife) in building rapport and
subsequently the therapeutic relationship with the patient/consumer in your care. - correct answer
-Empathy.
-Emotional objectivity.
-Emotional intelligence.
-Self-awareness.
-Critical thinking.
-Being able to read and identify the signs and signals others give (both verbal and body language).
Describe five (5) barriers to engagement from the nurse/midwife perspective, that may impact on the
therapeutic relationship and subsequent care of the patient/consumer. - correct answer
-Time constraints.
-Personal discomfort.
-Knowledge/skills deficit.
-Lacking empathy.
-Clinician perpetuated stigma/labelling/judgement.
