Nursing Services
The Nursing Department provides professional nursing services 24 hours a day. Our patient population ranges in age from young adult through the life span. They are hospitalized for psychiatric illness and reside on one of six units. The Department is dedicated to providing quality services on an equal basis for all patients, respectful of personal rights and dignity. Nursing is a dynamic process that facilitates the patient to effect change in his or her health through self care practices that improve the quality of life. The focus of nursing care is holistic including interventions with families and/or significant others.
Nursing assists the patient to integrate the services of all other providers of care. Services are provided by Registered Professional Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Health Service Assistants, Workers, and Trainees with support from Unit Clerks and Secretaries. The unit nursing services are under the direction of a nurse manager.
Nursing therapeutic modalities used to provide care include the following:
Ongoing nursing assessment
Problem identification
Participation in multidisciplinary treatment and discharge planning
Safety monitoring and evaluation
Therapeutic communication
Milieu management to facilitate activities of daily living in the patient community
Psycho-education groups
On unit recreation activities
Medication management and education
Patient and family education
Monitoring the patient's response to interventions
The Department is supported also by the services of the Infection Control Nurse, Continuous Quality Improvement Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Clinical Coordinators. The Department also provides clinical affiliations for several registered professional nursing and licensed practical nursing schools.