Nursing Mental Diseases

This is a concise, practical, informative and interesting textbook for the instruction of nurses in the understanding and management of psychiatric patients. The early chapters deal with the history of the care of the mentally sick and with legal aspects of mental disorders, followed by a general discussion of personality development, causes and classification of mental disorders, symptoms and special nursing measures required in the care of psychotic patients. Especially commendable is the chapter detailing such nursing procedures as the administration of food, relief of insomnia, prevention and treatment of bed sores, attention to evacuation of the bowels and bladder, the management of excited patients and precautions against suicide, which are so important and sometimes so difficult in the care of the mentally ill. Chapters VIII to xxi describe specific mental disorders and, in brief, the special nursing procedures requisite to each. Later chapters deal with methods of treatment such