The nurse as counselor.

Abstract

Abstract It is commonly noted that persons with a need for professional counseling often choose indirect means of seeking such help. College students may present to the college health nurse with vague physical symptoms. Nurses have generally recognized competence in counseling due to their professional preparation. Beyond this, there are five basic requirements for competence for counseling college students: a bias for optimism; knowledge of key concepts; an investigative method; a perspective for college health nurses; and continuing education for nurse counselors. A need for counseling is a clinical judgment made by the nurse, and his/her response will be immediate situational counseling, continuing counseling sessions, or referral. Types of counseling situations that the nursing professional may encounter are outlined, including four escapes utilized by students, such as substance abuse, suicide, fear of AIDS, and anorexia/bulimia. Since students do utilize health services, the nurse counselor with a h...