Changing Mindsets to Create a New Mental Health Nursing Care Landscape

Abstract

Perception of change is a real and profound out come of the recently ended COVID-19 pandemic. The course of this pandemic was unpredictable and subject to change with no clear end in sight. Thus, "uncertainty" became the only certainty in daily life. The realities of the pandemic necessitated that changes and adjustments be made in our physical, psychological, and emotional states as well as life and work styles, which tested everyone's resilience. Change interpreted through Buddha Siddhartha's "Theory of Dependent Origination" is normal and to be expected. The Buddha believed all "conditioned dharmas" in the world (things that can be seen with form) were not created from nothing and could not exist alone. Instead, they must have been formed through a combination of various causal conditions and, once these conditions disappear, must return again to nothingness. Thus, "All dharmas arise due to conditions, and all dharmas cease due to conditions (Sina Buddhism, 2017)". Because of this, the Buddha believed all things and all phenomena to be impermanent and changing (Master Sheng Yen, 2002). According to the Buddha, change is normal and impermanence is permanent. As such, the practice of mental healthcare has not been passively changed by the epidemic, but has always been changing continuously and proactively. The process of treating and restoring to health in patients with mental illness is actually a long and arduous journey, and mental health nurses play a very important role throughout this long process of recovery. We abandon the traditional treatment and care model that only focuses on mental disorders and symptoms, and instead adopt the concept of holistic healthcare (Mandal et al., 2020), which focuses on patient physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects, helping them achieve whole person wellness (Swanson et al., 2019). Each patient should be regarded as a unique individual not only in terms of their disease diagnosis, symptoms, physical and mental states, understanding, and communications but also in terms of their socioeconomic status, family support, and social resources. Because of this, nursing care plans should not be institutionalized or mechanistic, but rather allow flexibility to address each patient's current condition. Through comprehensive and integrated care and consultation and interdisciplinary teamwork, the psychiatric and mental health nurses work hard to ensure every patient and family member who receives care is satisfied in terms of their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Another aspect of change is the adoption by mental health nurses of a more active, more professional, larger pattern, and broader vision of their professional services. After all, mental patients may not necessarily fully understand their needs. As mental health professionals, we can develop our professional sensitivity. Moreover, while devoting ourselves to helping patients move towards holistic health and providing holistic care for patients, we should also try our best to detect and pay attention to whether current mental-health-related policies, medical system norms, or usual modes of operation may be ignoring patient needs or increasing the obstacles encountered in the rehabilitation process. In addition, we should try to seek strategies to change the situation, advocate for the health and well-being of patients, and improve the quality and effectiveness of overall mental healthcare. In this issue, four professors respectively discuss issues related to mental health policy, clinical practice, community rehabilitation and employment support, and the expansion of the professional role and service field of mental health nursing. These authors share how the field and functions of mental healthcare can change and evolve along a positive path forward. They not only provide direction and light but also show the results of their efforts.