Psycho social nursing care for better patient outcome

doi:10.15406/ncoaj.2016.01.00004

eISSN: 2572-8474

Nursing & Care Open Access Journal

Editorial Volume 1 Issue 1

Psycho social nursing care for better patient outcome

Judie Arulappan

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Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

Correspondence: Judie Arulappan, Assistant Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing ,Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, Tel + 968 95631235

Received: October 03, 2016 | Published: October 25, 2016

Citation: Arulappan J. Psycho social nursing care for better patient outcome. Nurse Care Open Acces J. 2016;1(1):10-11. DOI: 10.15406/ncoaj.2016.01.00004

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Editorial

“Psycho social” is a term which is relating to the interrelation of social factors and individual thought and behavior. Psycho social health denotes the significance of a person being healthy in terms of mental, emotional, social and spiritual domains. The psychosocial health of thinking aspect refers to mental health, feeling aspect is emotional health and social component is said to be social health in which an individual create and maintain good and healthy relationships with others. The psychosocial health that gives meaning for life is known as spiritual health.

The psychosocial health was not considered important in the field of medicine since long time. In early days, it was the belief that medicine cures the illness. But nowadays, there is more evidence available to state that a healthy mind and happy heart are very important for the prevention of much illness. Hence, the psychosocial health implies to the wellbeing of emotional, social, mental and spiritual aspects which facilitates better patient care and health care outcomes.

If the person is completely devoid of problems, it does not mean that the individual is experiencing excellent psychosocial health. The quality or quantity of the problem that the patient is experiencing is not considered as the measurement tool for psychosocial health. The person is considered to have good psychosocial health in the way he or she views himself and the way they deal with stressful situations. The basic traits of a person who is considered to be psychosocially healthy are that the person will like himself, care for themselves, accept their mistakes, feel empathy for others, limit and control their anger, tension and anxiety, very optimistic, can function alone and with others.

Psychosocial dysfunction is referred to any problem that occurs in a person’s psychosocial functioning. This is otherwise termed as psychosocial morbidity. Psychosocial dysfunction occurs along with dysfunction in physical, emotional or cognitive functions.

The health care workers may plan a psychosocial intervention to decrease the complaints and facilitate the functioning in the individuals affected with mental and social issues. The psychological and social factors influencing the individual are addressed. The victims of disaster, violence or catastrophe are helped through psychosocial support services. The psychosocial support program aims at easing the individuals or communities to resume to normal life, aids the affected people to participate in the convalescence and prevents the bad consequences of potentially traumatic situations.

The psychological distress and physical symptoms can be reduced by providing good psychosocial care thereby the quality of life can be improved, the coping levels can be enhanced, pain levels can be reduced with a consequent limited demand for hospital resources.

The psychosocial care is important for the patients as well as for the health care workers providing the health care. A health care worker is expected to deliver psychosocial support which involves provision of culturally sensitive social, psychological and spiritual care. Nurses play a unique role in supporting patients. The support can be by building dialogue with patients, understanding how patients view themselves as individuals, what is important to them, and how their relationship with others may affect their decisions and their ability to live with those decisions during their treatment and beyond.

Good verbal and non-verbal communication skills are required for providing good psychosocial care. In order to maintain ideal rapport and relationship with the patient and their family, the nurse must develop good communication and assessment skills. The communication skills will help the nurses working in the hospitals a better chance to gain trust in the patients. The nurses also will be able to initiate support for patients and their family. While providing psychosocial support, the nurses must strive hard to treat each patient as individuals in providing physical, psychological and psychosocial care.

The relationship between the nurse and the patient should be based on being open and honest, trust, understanding, respect, being present, providing social support and setting mutual goals. This trusting relationship is very important for the patients experiencing psychosocial distress. The nurses and the health care providers create an environment in which the patients feel safe, confident and comfortable to relate and communicate. This relationship comforts the patients and the family members.

The nurses and the health care providers need to be more careful in including the spirituality, sexuality, optimism, and hope while providing psychosocial nursing care to the patients. The common psychosocial issues seen in the patients are despair, anxiety, depression, social isolation, disturbed self-esteem, fear of abandonment, loss of control, and disturbed body image. Good communication skills and assessment are very important to build therapeutic relationships, which helps the patients to ventilate their feelings.

The time patients are in the hospital and the ill effects of anxiety and stress can be decreased by providing good psychosocial care. The health care sector is looking for effective ways to meet the budgetary needs while still achieving the patient satisfaction. The nurses and health care professionals are required to establish therapeutic relationships which will help to build social, psychological, and spiritual care. The nurses must be empowered to use understanding, empathy, and reassurance to bring positive health outcomes in the patients and the family members.