Varcarolis’ Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, 7e

Book Preface

The role of the health care provider continues to become more challenging as our health care system is compromised by increasing federal cuts, lack of trained personnel, and the dictates of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and behavioral health maintenance organizations (BHMOs). We nurses and our patients are from increasingly diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, bringing with us a wide spectrum of beliefs and practices. An in-depth consideration and understanding of cultural, religious/spiritual, and social practices is paramount in the administration of appropriate and effective nursing care and is emphasized throughout this text.

We are living in an age of fast-paced research in neurobiology, genetics, and psychopharmacology, as well as research to find the most effective evidence-based approaches for patients and their families. Legal issues and ethical dilemmas faced by the health care system are magnified accordingly. Given these myriad challenges, knowing how best to teach our students and serve our patients can seem overwhelming. With contributions from several knowledgeable and experienced nurse educators, our goal is to bring to you the most current and comprehensive trends and evidence-based practices in psychiatric mental health nursing.

CONTENT NEW TO THIS EDITION

The following topics are at the forefront of nursing practice andpsychiatric-mental health care and are considered in detail in this seventh edition:

• Clinical disorders that are consistent with the DSM-5 are presented along with corresponding nursing care.
• New and recombined DSM-5 disorders are presented, including hoarding disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, binge eating disorder, and autism spectrum disorder.
• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) content— patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidencebased practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics— are integrated naturally in the application of the nursing process.
• The social influence of mental health care and the importance of legislation are stressed throughout and are highlighted in Health Policy boxes.
• A complete update has been made on the biological basis for understanding psychiatric disorders and treatments (Chapter 3).
• Settings for psychiatric care are presented along a continuum of acuity and take into account the changing needs of individuals seeking and/or requiring psychiatric services (Chapter 4).
• Trauma, stressor-related, and dissociative disorders are given increased attention in a separate chapter to reflect the increasing recognition of these problems (Chapter 16).
• Screenings and severity ratings are introduced in Chapter 1 and included throughout most clinical chapters
• Chapter 19 provides an in-depth look at both normal sleep and also the cross-cutting problem of altered sleep that accompanies and/or exacerbates psychiatric disorders.
• A separate chapter focuses on impulse control disorders (Chapter 20).
• The terms substance abuse with substance dependence have been consolidated into the single problem of substance use disorder (Chapter 22) Refer to the To the Student section of this introduction on pages xv-xvi for examples of thoroughly updated familiar features with a fresh perspective, including Evidence-Based Practice boxes, Considering Culture boxes, Health Policy boxes, Key Points to Remember, Assessment Guidelines, and Vignettes, among others.