What is a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment? A review of the literature

Abstract

Assessment is the foundation on which nursing care is delivered. The aim of this paper is to better understand the content (what information nurses seek about consumers) and the process (how they go about gathering that information) of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment in practice. Using terms, such as 'nursing', 'mental health', and 'assessment', the CINAHL, Medline, and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies that describe the content and process of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment. Although studies of aspects of mental health nursing assessment, such as the assessment of risk or carer burden, were found, no single study described both the content and process of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment in practice. In Australia, a comprehensive assessment is codified as a competency to practice nursing; however, the standards of practice set for mental health nurses are less clear on what constitutes a comprehensive assessment or how this should be undertaken. The peer-reviewed literature describes assessment as both an independent and interdependent activity. It is described as informal, and there is evidence that comprehensive mental health nursing assessments are not well documented. The credibility of training and research into mental health nursing requires that the content and the process of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment needs to be clearly defined.

Processo de enfermagem na saúde mental: revisão integrativa da literatura

“…It is worth mentioning that four from those (57.1%) emphasize such participation and become a highlight for the development of the nurse-patient relationship (24,(26)(27)29) . Furthermore, one study affirms that NP favors the interaction between professional and patient and can be used as a method of assistance by other professionals who make up the mental health team (25) .…”

“…The evidence of nursing process application to establish mental health care is weak, since on the strength of evidence (12) , there was one (5.26%) level III (22) , seven (36.84%) of level IV (7,(18)(19)(20)(21)(26)(27) , eight (41.10%) of level V (23)(24)(25)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32) and three (15.78%) of level VI (33)(34)(35) . It is noteworthy that the scale used describes as studies of strong evidence those that are at level I of evidence strength (12) .…”

“…Six (85.7%) addressed the importance of patient participation in assessing and sharing information for participatory care construction (24,29) . It is worth mentioning that four from those (57.1%) emphasize such participation and become a highlight for the development of the nurse-patient relationship (24,(26)(27)29) .…”

“…Coombs et al/2001 (29) To detail how the comprehensive assessment of mental health nursing is described in the literature and its implications for teaching and research activities.…”

“…The others present different theoretical references to support the use of NP, such as a study that adopts Irving's (37) framework to support nursing care in a relational perspective that systematizes the NP in the following stages: diagnosis, planning, actions and evaluation (25) . Two studies take only the NP first stage, which is the historical, putting it at a privileged point and proposes that the comprehensive assessment of nursing in mental health can guide the other stages of the NP: planning, diagnosis, interventions and evaluation of Nursing outcomes (24,29) . A study shows that theoretical models based on nursing theories are not sufficiently developed, which leads nurses to elaborate their practice based on tradition, so that such positioning may hinder the proposed care from the therapeutic relationship (26) .…”