Consulta de Acogida de Enfermería en pacientes que acuden a un centro de salud mental

Abstract

Outpatient nursing reception in a mental health centre is the first contact of the psychiatric patient with the therapeutic process. The objective of this study was to analyse the characteristics of this clinical resource, managed by the mental health nurse. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent outpatient nursing reception between September and October 2002 were included in the study RESULTS: 51 patients were included. Depressive symptoms were the main reason for consultation, being the 39% of all the cases. Contact with outpatient nursing reception was the first contact with mental health services for the 57% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: As outpatient nursing reception is the first contact with mental health resources for many psychiatric patients, this requires a design that allows information, health education, establishing a confidential relationship and priorities, describing stressful stimulus and offering to the patients skills to manage them in a proper way. According to these requirements, outpatient nursing reception of psychiatric patients must be managed by mental health nurses.