This psychiatric-mental health undergraduate textbook emphasizes interpersonal relations as the foundation for practice in nursing. It provides a historical overview of the profession, and guides the student through the essential phases of self-discovery necessary to integrate interpersonal nursing theory into practice with various psychiatric populations.

The book presents content designed to foster self-growth, including the importance of boundary management, in preparation for work with clients. Psychodynamic frames of reference and current neurobiological information underpinning practice are reviewed. Subsequent chapters focus on prominent and common mental illnesses, and weave both the psychodynamic and neurobiological concepts into strategies for nursing interventions. Clinical case studies with critical thinking exercises augment chapter discussions.

Key topics:

• Use of interpersonal nursing theories and models to guide practice in the nurse patient relationship.
• Mental health trends and the current and historic role of the professional nurse
• Therapeutic use of self and therapeutic communication: from self discovery to interpersonal skill integration
• Nursing interventions: clinical decision making, critical thinking, and counseling interventions
• Application of interpersonal theory to practice skill sets
• Acute and chronic illnesses, including thought, anxiety, personality, cognitive, and eating disorders
• Ethical and legal aspects of mental health care