Competency of Critical Care Nurses to Meet Patient's Psychological Needs: Debate Essay

Abstract

Critical ill patients have the high incidence to develop psychiatric illness and psychological imbalance such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, stress and stress related disorders. The physical disorder itself and environmental and functional factors within intensive units are most common predictors for these disturbances other than demographics traits. The purpose of the current paper is to take possible sources to developing psychiatric competency of critical care units among general hospitals. Search strategies database of Pub Med, Google Scholar, and American Psychiatric Association was used; they provided many studies about the current topic with using some words as Competency, psychological needs, critical ill patient and psychiatric qualification. Different possible solutions were donated, mostly were concerned about psychiatric qualification and training/education of health care staffs. First possible source of solution included psychiatric training/education of critical care staffs over assessment, intervention or psychotherapies and evaluation of patient psychological aspects and needs. Second possible source recommended for availability of psychiatric qualifications within critical care area to improve this aspect of holistic care other than specialty of appropriate referral and follow up of long term complications. Psychiatric training/education or qualification are considered effective sources of modification and improvement of biopsychosocial care among critically ill patients. Ignoring psychiatric qualification of this medical area can be considered as malpractice or negligence of patient's care.

Keywords: Bio-psycho-social care, Psychiatric Competency, Psychiatric Qualification.