Psychiatric nurse-patient interaction facilitating mental health.

A description is given of research involving the formulation of the "Psychiatric Nurse-Patient Interaction Facilitating Mental Health" psychiatric nursing model. Major concepts are identified, defined and propositional statements formulated. A description is given of the structure and process depicted in this model which views psychiatric nursing as a scientifically based interaction between a psychiatric nurse and a patient with the purpose of facilitating a patient's quest for mental health as integral part of health (wholeness). The patient can be an individual, family or community. The goal of psychiatric nursing is assisting the patient in mobilizing his resources to promote, maintain and restore health. The focus of psychiatric nursing assessment and diagnosis is the patient's mental processes as these influence his patterns of interaction with his internal and external environment. The patient's patterns of interaction with his environment determine his health status. The desired patient outcome that is worked for in psychiatric nursing is mental health as integral part of health (spiritual, mental and physical wholeness). Continued refinement of concepts, research and application in practice is necessary to validate this model.