Bipolar disorder requires fundamental and precise diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and continuous individual observation. Vieta et al. claim that “the implementation of early intervention strategies may help to change the outcome of the illness and avert potentially irreversible harm to patients” (411). Nursing professionals participate in the therapy from the initial stages, thus their knowledge about the disease’s distinguishing characteristics is crucial for clients’ health improvement. This paper aims to discuss nursing strategies and approaches to diagnosis and intervention for providing clients with efficient bipolar disorder treatment.
Mental diseases can be developed at any age, occur hereditarily, or due to traumas and severe neurological deviations. The illnesses can have invisible signs at their initial stages, or be denied by an individual, therefore proper examination and detail are vital. Bipolar disorder has irreversible complications if it has not been identified early and a patient does not receive timely treatment (Vieta et al. 412). Furthermore, the disease includes multiple phases in which each individual reveals unique coping and behavioral characteristics (Vieta et al. 416). While research and studying of bipolar disorder diagnosis and intervention continue to expand, the nursing practitioners can successfully implement the actual practice.
Nursing follows bipolar disorder treatment from the earliest examination and requires a broad knowledge of symptoms, outcomes, and critical signs from healthcare providers. The professionals evaluate the extent of the illness, manage therapy with appropriate mood stabilizers, and can profoundly impact the outcomes by teaching patients and their families. Ameel, Kontio, and Välimäki state that “nurses can play a central role in responding to the growing demand for evidence-based practices in adult outpatient psychiatry” (312). Indeed, sharing the experience of interaction with bipolar disorder patients of different stages can help professionals in the further diagnosis, medication prescribing, and education.
Diagnosis is a critical step in discovering a mental deviation, identifying bipolar disorder, assessing its severity, and creating an efficient treatment strategy. Evidence-based practice reveals that the earliest signs of the disease frequently occur in adolescence, therefore a preliminary physical exam must include a detailed conversation about past incidents (Stiles et al. 417). Mental conditions’ diagnosis is difficult due to the similarity of symptoms, for example, depression and a stage of bipolar disorder. Consequently, only a comprehensive approach of integrating physical examinations, lab tests, and dialogues can assist in recognizing the correct diagnosis. As patients experience recurrent episodes of manic or depressive states alternating with the normal mood, the diagnostic strategies for bipolar disorder patients depend on their current condition (Stiles et al. 420). General lab checks such as thyroid function tests and urine analysis are also helpful for the healthcare professionals in a diagnosis differentiation.
Nurses’ role in bipolar disorder diagnosis is significant because their knowledge of symptoms is required to distinguish the disease from other severe mental conditions. Indeed, nursing education and clinical practice must motivate healthcare providers to increase their awareness of the illness’s nature and ways to recognize it (Ameel, Kontio, and Välimäki 316). As the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in a patient’s normal state is different from the manic one, nursing professionals need to assess if following standard physical exam protocols and differential diagnosis is appropriate. For instance, building a conversation or taking specific screenings might be impossible, or the client’s chief complaint might be false. The extreme conditions of the manic or depressed states might be dangerous for a nurse’s mental health, therefore self-checking is also required for personnel involved in a bipolar disorder patient diagnosis (Stiles et al. 423). Moreover, nursing in the mental diseases segment requires strong traits and communicational skills combined with evidence-based knowledge of assessment and treatment strategies.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic disease in which continuous treatment and frequent interventions are necessary for maintaining a balance of a patient’s mental state. The strategies to provide meditative and physical help depend on the condition: for the manic phase, a client would get stronger stabilizers and antipsychotics than for the normal one (Kato 530). Psychosocial treatment is another vital part of supporting the health of a patient with bipolar disorder. The strategy must contain psychoeducation, self-management, family-focused therapy, and cognitive-behavioral practices for reaching a balanced state (Kato 536). Self-assessment and social support are suitable for long-lasting treatment, medications vary based on the patient’s phase, and a psychologist must perform all treatment interventions.
A nursing practitioner’s intervention is necessary at the early stages of diagnosing and during outpatient psychiatric treatment. Nurses provide a patient and their families with moral support, explain procedures, and perform as a connection between them and psychologists. Nursing intervention for bipolar disorder treatment can also be viewed from another side when the healthcare professional identifies the signs of improvement or severity of clients’ conditions and reports to physicians (Vieta et al. 420). Moreover, nurses’ surveillance of patients’ behavior and medication receipt can help identify patterns or triggers that lead to mood swings (Kato 533). Caregivers’ intervention in treatment is essential in a normal state to help them maintain balance and in a manic state to provide emergency assistance.
Nursing is included and in high demand at all stages of chronic mental diseases’ treatment, thus practitioners must continuously gather evidence-based knowledge about their care receivers’ conditions. For bipolar disorder diagnosis, it is critical to distinguish the symptoms from other illnesses and select the appropriate tests, questions, and screenings. During the treatment, nurses’ intervention is necessary for building constructive conversation between physician, patient, and their families. The professionalism of nursing professionals involved in bipolar disorder therapy is shown through caution to their clients and the ability to apply soft skills in preventing severe conditions from developing.
Works Cited
Ameel, Maria, Raija Kontio, and Maritta Välimäki. “Interventions Delivered by Nurses in Adult Outpatient Psychiatric Care: An Integrative Review.” Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, vol. 26, no. 9-10, 2019, pp. 301-322. Web.
Kato, Tadafumi. “Current Understanding of Bipolar Disorder: Toward Integration of Biological Basis and Treatment Strategies.” Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, vol. 73, no. 9, 2019, pp. 526-540. Web.
Stiles, Brandie M., et al. “The Compelling and Persistent Problem of Bipolar Disorder Disguised as Major Depression Disorder: An Integrative Review.” Journal of The American Psychiatric Nurses Association, vol. 24, no. 5, 2018, pp. 415-425. Web.
Vieta, Eduard, et al. “Early Intervention in Bipolar Disorder.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 175, no. 5, 2018, pp. 411-426. Web.