Mental Health Incident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mental Health Incident - Essay Example The Driscoll model shall be used as the reflection tool for this paper. Body: Driscoll reflective model What? A description of the event The purpose in returning to this situation is to review my actions and to evaluate whether or not these actions were in accordance with the standards of the practice. I also returned to this situation in order to establish areas of improvement and to evaluate how well I performed in the actual clinical setting. During one of my shifts in my mental health placement, I encountered an aggressive patient, who shall be referred to as Mr. Y, in order to protect his identity and maintain patient confidentiality. He was a 22 year old male patient diagnosed recently with schizophrenia. When I first approached him, he was very wary and nervous. I initially introduced myself to him and maintained a comfortable distance of about 4 feet. He was sitting on a stool looking angrily at anyone who approached him. His medication was due and I was tasked with administe ring it. Accompanied by my mentor, I approached the patient, introduced myself and said that his oral medication was due and I was there to help him take it. As I was talking, I noted that he was on the verge of aggression so I kept a safe distance from him. I waited for him to respond, but then he suddenly stood up and tried to lunge at me. I stepped away from him before he could grab me and my mentor and the other staff nurses immediately grabbed him before he could inflict any physical harm. The staff told me to proceed in giving him the medication. Since, it was an oral medication, it was difficult to administer as he clenched his jaw and tried to bite off my fingers. With some assistance from the staff members I was able to administer the medication. After the incident, he was immediately restrained and strapped to the bed. During the incident, I observed that I physically prepared myself for a possible attack from an aggressive patient, and that based on the quick response of the staff and my mentor, they were also expecting aggression from the patient. They also sensed possible aggression based on the demeanour of the patient before the incident. The assistance which was given to me during the incident was very much welcome because I would not have been able to handle the aggressive patient on my own. The main element I observed in the situation is the period of escalation from a possibly aggressive patient. The study by Beech and Leather (2003) indicate that the escalation of aggression can often be observed from the patient’s demeanour, his failure to cooperate with the staff and then finally his actual physical act of aggression. Dunn and colleagues (2007) discuss that there may be various interventions which could have been done to de-escalate his aggression and prevent the actual act of aggression. Dunn, et.al., (2007) also point out that the act of physically restraining the patient is often commonly used for these aggressive patients. Chem ical restraints could have been administered however, the staff explained that chemical restraints might not interact well with his current medications. Melillo and Houde (2011) discuss the chemical restraints administered alongside psychopharmacological drugs can have adverse interactions and can cause further agitation and confusion. Stewart, et.al., (2009) also discuss that maintaining a therapeutic distance from mental health patients is crucial in the protection of one’