Nurse educators respond to the needs of the chronically mentally disabled

A recurrent theme in the psychiatric literature is the paucity of educational programs and orientation programs for the nurse generalist that offer individualized content specific to the needs of the chronically mentally disabled (CMD) client. Concerned with the lack of educational content and the complexity of the needs of the CMD two nurse educators developed, implemented, and evaluated an educational module for preparing the novice psychiatric nurse to care for CMD clients in inpatient treatment settings. The module builds upon nurses' physical assessment skills, nursing diagnosis skills, and management of chronic and episodic illnesses, and bridges these skills with traditional psychiatric-mental health content. With an increased interest in nursing case management, the educational module presents educational support germane to the concepts inherent in supportive and rehabilitative case management. Moreover, the current political, social, and economic climates are mandating that nurses become actively involved in discharge planning. The educational module addresses such issues and identifies strategies for assuring nurse involvement.