You introduce yourself to a patient. Within a very short amount of time, you are charged to establish a therapeutic relationship, help rule out medical conditions, accurately assess presenting symptoms and evaluate for appropriate disposition. That’s not always the easiest task…
You must have astute judgement and clinical skills to pull together the pieces. As the situation begins to unfold, it may become clearer and clearer that there is a Behavioral Emergency taking place. And a behavioral health bed may not be immediately available. Perhaps you work in the emergency department, on a med/surg floor or in a nursing home. Regardless of the setting, department or exact role, patients may present with or begin to demonstrate what can feel like just plain frightening symptoms.
Advancing your skills to feel confident safely managing your patient’s combined medical and psychiatric needs is an absolute necessity. Watch clinician Valerie R. Vestal, MSN, PMHNP-BC, to take away new and essential approaches for crisis intervention, ETOH withdrawals, aggressive/violent behaviors, threats of serious harm, de-escalation techniques…and more!
