Role of a psychiatric liaison nurse in an A & E department

Attendances at Accident & Emergency (A & E) departments by patients with mental health problems are on the increase. An emphasis on care in the community for patients with psychiatric disorders, and a society which is placing increased demands on the vulnerable, has meant that A & E departments are increasingly having to manage patients who have self-harmed and patients with acute mental health problems. Arguably, it is no longer acceptable or necessary for all patients presenting with self-harm to be admitted to hospital or to have a full evaluation by a psychiatrist. Other options exist whereby such patients can be managed in an efficient and appropriate way. One such option is the introduction of a psychiatric liaison nurse to the A & E department, who can liaise with A & E staff and with all available psychiatric services to offer optimal treatment for a patient. Such a service can obviate the need for involving psychiatric services directly on the day a patient presents. This paper describes the role of a psychiatric liaison nurse in an A & E department. It illustrates how effective the role can be by describing two case histories and outlining the psychiatric liaison nurse's work practice in the A & E department.