Emergency Room Health Care Professionals Need Ongoing Education in Caring For the Mental Health Patient: A Literature Review

Authors: Deright E, Hussey K and Abigail Mitchell RN*

DOI: 10.23880/jqhe-16000129

Volume 2, Issue 4

Abstract

The prevalence of mental health disorders shows how real this spectrum of illness is in the United States, with 44.7 million people estimated to be affected in 2016 (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017). The frequency of their presentation to emergency rooms and the need of healthcare providers to be properly prepared to care for these patients are increasing. Literature demonstrates that providers feel ill prepared and lack of confidence to care for the acutely mentally ill patient. This puts the patient and the provider at a safety risk. This paper is a brief literature review based on the need for healthcare providers to be educated on this population.

Keywords: Mental Health; Health Care; Emergency Department

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