Assignment Task

Overview of assignment content:

For this word essay, you will consider the assessment and care planning requirements for a specific patient /service user that you have cared for in a mental health practice setting, with a particular focus on biopsychosocial needs.

Throughout the assignment, the discussion should demonstrate an evidence-based understanding of the care that was provided for the service user, and show application of person-centred care and recovery principles in practice.

Please refer to published literature and different sources of information to highlight aspects and contrasting perspectives and viewpoints.

Introduction

An introduction to the assignment is required at the start. You should clearly signpost the reader to the key themes to be discussed in the essay. Ensure that you adhere to The Code on Confidentiality (NMC 2018) throughout.

Assessing the needs of the service user:

Given the wordcount, please identify only two needs in this section of the service user although we acknowledge that some service users may have multiple or complex needs.

• Provide a definition of the concept of assessment in mental health nursing and show your understanding of what and how we assess, including risk.
• Consider our professional role and responsibilities in mental health assessment, and how service users might experience our services, within the wider legal and ethical context of care provision.
• Discuss how the service user you have identified was engaged in the assessment. Consideration should be given to biological, psychological, and social aspects that might have might contributed to their mental health problems and presenting needs.
• Examine how principles of recovery were used during the engagement and assessment of the service user.
• Discuss how interpersonal skills were used to help provide person-centred care for the service user, supported by the wide body of literature on communication in mental health nursing.

Planning care for the service user:

• Define and show your understanding of the concept of care planning. Focus on how mental health nurses work with people in a way that values, respects and explores the ways that service users experience their mental health condition.
• Discuss how care was planned for the service user you have identified and consider how this was linked to the principles of recovery. Describe and analyse how the collaborative care plan that was devised, was able to support and address their needs.
• Identify and evaluate evidence-based interventions and provide rationale(s) for the choice of specific interventions. Refer to relevant policy guidance and frameworks to demonstrate an awareness of these interventions and their efficacy, to link theory and practice.
• Consider the extent of service user’s/carer’s/other professionals (multidisciplinary, multi-agency) involvement in selecting interventions.