Nurses9 Important Role In Mental Hospitals

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 2

Nurses 9 Important Role In Mental Hospitals

The infant, maternal and general death-rates in New Zealand were as low as in any country in the ’ world but the situation of mental health was not nearly as good, said the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. Douglas) at the opening of the New Zealand Student Nurses’ Association conference in Christchurch yesterday. “In this country there are 25,000 hospital beds and 9000 are mental hospital beds,” said Dr. Douglas. It is estimated that of every 100 patients who, in middle life consult their family doctors, 25 are suffering from mental illness. Of these 25 all but 2 per cent are treated by their doctors. “One per cent, of all people over 65 are resident in mental hospitals. More than 10 per cent .over 65 are resident in other hospitals.” Dr. Douglas said that nurses should look on a patient as a person rather than as a disease. A patient, like any other person, had a family, social position, varying emotions and instincts The nurses should be able to assess these factors in order to know their patients well. The role of the nurse in a mental hospital was very often that of nurse and mother to the patients.' When the patient was admitted he would very often •feel insecure in his surroundings. A*.

This could frequently cause a redress in the patient’s adult behaviour so that he became childlike and sometimes “difficult.” The tendency of the nurses toward assuming an authoritative cession in the patient’s adult bemother” was disappearing as understanding of the patients, of mental health and of people increased, said Dr. Douglas. With any person, sick or well, the pattern of emotions was exaggerated at times. There were periods when a person could be depressed or over-happy. The anxiety of his new surroundings was felt acutely by the mental hospital patient. In addition to this he would feel the fear of the unknown prospective treatments, fear of pain, fear for his family, perhaps fear of death. Very often he would feel deserted and helpless. The admission of the patient, the medical treatment he received, the administrative care and the layout and colourscheme of the hospital itself, all had their effect on the sufferer. Dr. Douglas spoke favourably of a suggestion that had been made recently for a hostess in each hospital. This position would involve meeting each patient on his arrival, taking care of his personal affairs and introducing him to members of the staff and other patients in the wards.