LPN Jobs | LPN Careers | LPN Employment

LPN stands for Licensed Practical Nurse. The primary responsibility of an LPN is to assist doctors and RNs (Registered Nurses) in caring for patients. Sometimes, such as in nursing homes, LPN’s supervise orderlies and nursing aides. Licensed practical nurses have learned the technical skills necessary to do some routine nursing tasks. These include preparing and delivering injections, taking vital signs, dressing wounds, and performing some lab tests. In addition to this work, LPNs sometimes maintain the records of patients, schedule appointments for them, and do some other clerical tasks. There is a variety of areas of specialization depending on the type of patient. The duties of a mental health LPN are what will be discussed in this article.

The field of mental health can be one of the most difficult for the nursing profession. It is estimated that as many as one out of three people has some type of mental health problem. There are a large number of disorders, such as psychological and personality problems, psychoses and neuroses. For many people with a mental problem, it is the result of some kind of crisis that has occurred, such as the death of a spouse. A mental health LPN may work in a variety of facilities such as a community health care center; the majority of mentally ill patients are not treated in hospitals. The LPN usually performs his or her duties as part of a team that includes registered nurses, psychiatrists, and social workers.

Because of the nature of many mental illnesses, there is a danger of violence in this nursing speciality. Mental health LPN’s need to be able to detect when a patient may be about to flare up. They also need to be able to have empathy with the patients they are taking care of and demonstrate to them that they genuinely care about them. There is still a stigma associated with mental disorders and the duties of a mental health LPN include doing things to lessen this stigma in the minds of patients. Another task that may be more difficult in a mental health setting is assistance to patients with personal hygiene and bathing, since they may be more reluctant to co-operate as compared to a mentally healthy patient.

The duties of a mental health LPN are clearly more challenging than in most other areas of nursing care. However, the rewards can also be very powerful. Helping a patient emerge from a deep depression can be very satisfying indeed.

If you are a qualified LPN or are considering enrolling on an LPN training program then you should perhaps give some consideration to including within your vocational study an LPN mental health program.

Mental health issues face a huge percantage of our population, but there remains a social stigma about admitting to others that you may be suffering problems.  The term mental health disorders covers a wide variety of disorders ranging from anxiety disorders and panic attacks, through depression, and onto dementia and schizoid personality disorder.  Fortunately mental health is becoming an increasing focus of healthcare services and as a result the opportunities for LPN jobs in mental health are increasing too.  These LPN jobs are found at a range of mental health services, ranging from residential homes to community care services.  Nevertheless, wherever these jobs may be located, the LPN who has undergone the necessary LPN mental health program is best positioned to being hired.

So what’s involved in an LPN mental health program?  Well, the typical program contents would be to provide background on the symptoms of various common mental health disorders before moving on to provide the LPN with necessary skills to deal with the circumstances of mental health in their working environment and potentially elsewhere.

Following attendance and having achieved the necessary program credit the LPN needs to be able to practically apply the skills that they have learnt on the LPN mental health program in a real life or clinical environment.  They need to be recognize the difficulties that sufferers of mental health disorders have in communication and assist them to overcome these problems.  They need to be able to take written medical histories that clearly show their understanding that their patients may well be suffering from mental health issues.  And finally they need to be able to assess, document and implement a care plan addressing a particular patients mental health needs.

If these criteria appear challenging then you have understood them correctly. They are difficult.  Mental healthcare is a difficult area to practice as an LPN in.  The LPN role can be difficult and challenging.  But the rewards can also be very good as a well qualified and effective mental health trained LPN can have a significant impact on the quality of life that someone suffering from mental health issues faces and it is principally for this reason that the LPN mental health programs are so popular.