Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders/Symptoms Schizophrenia is a thought disorder that includes psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thought processes. Psychotic behavior also can be encountered in clients who…

Substance-Related Disorders Abuse of substances may be chronic or acute and may include the use or abuse of alcohol, licit (prescription or over-the-counter) drugs, and illicit drugs. The first two…

Delirium, Dementia, and Head Injury Clients with delirium, dementia, or head injury may experience significant cognitive impairment. Delirium is often due to an underlying medical condition, such as alcohol withdrawal,…

Disorders Diagnosed in Childhood or Adolescence There is widespread agreement that children in our society must face an increasing number of complex challenges, such as drugs and alcohol, violence in…

Community-Based Care For many years, the majority of mental health care was provided in the hospital setting. Since the 1970s, many clients have been treated in less restrictive or community-based…

General Care Plans The first two care plans in this section should be used in every client’s care because they address two of the most important facets of treatment: establishing…

Introduction The Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans is intended as a resource in planning for each client’s care. Because each client is a person with a unique background and…

Key Considerations in Mental Health Nursing The care plans in this book have been created with certain fundamental concepts in mind. These key concepts are critical considerations in planning care…

Using the Manual The Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans is designed for both educational and clinical nursing situations. Because the care plans are organized according to the nursing process…