Mental Health Nursing Chapter 1: Mental Health and Mental Illness

A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. This nurse may expect an advanced practice nurse to perform which additional intervention? a. Conduct mental health assessments. b. Prescribe psychotropic medication. c. Establish therapeutic relationships. d. Individualize nursing care plans. - ANS: B In most states, prescriptive privileges are granted to master's-prepared nurse practitioners who have taken special courses on prescribing medication. The nurse prepared at the basic level is permitted to perform mental health assessments, establish relationships, and provide individualized care planning. When a nursing student expresses concerns about how mental health nurses "lose all their nursing skills," the best response by the mental health nurse is: