Nursing Interventions for Schizophrenia Patient

Nursing Management of Schizophrenia Patient

Definition of Schizophrenia:

Schizophrenia means splitting of psychic function. Schizo means split and Phrenia means mind. Schizophrenia is defined as a functional psychosis characterized by disturbances in thinking, emotion, volition and perception. Finally, it leads on to personality deterioration.

Nursing Management of Schizophrenia Patients:

Nursing Care/Interventions for Schizophrenia:

• Understanding the disease and the patient.
• First, the nurse should understand the following general principle of management of schizophrenic patients.
• Schizophrenia is a chronic illness; hence, the maintenance of long-term treatment is essential. Total cure may not be possible in most of the cases.
• What one should aim at is good improvement, with regular, appropriate treatment.
• Furthermore, in times of stress, the patient may get a relapse of symptoms inspire of regular treatment.
• A schizophrenic patient requires a substantial increase in his own self-esteem.
• Needs to be assisted to live with the real world.
• Needs to live in a place where he gets a change to use his own initiative and judgment.
• Needs to have human contacts.

You can read: Different Causes and Types of Schizophrenia

• Needs to find a nurse who will be a stable and consistent model. He needs assurance as to his own personal identity. Needs patience, and forbearance.
• Accept him as he is. That means the nurse should realize the limitations and weaknesses of the patient.
• The nurse can minimize her own frustrations by learning not to expect the impossible from him. The patient’s condition can be made to improve, but slowly. Hence, it 1s the duty of the nurse to refrain from rejecting him and accepting him wholeheartedly as he is.
• Assign small responsibilities to the patient.
• Engage and support the Patient.
• Supervise him in all his needs.
• Appreciate him even if he does a small task.
• Do not- Ignore, Criticize, Exert social behavior and Refrain from over-involvement.

Nursing Care of the acutely ill schizophrenics:

1. During the acute phase, the most important thing is to meet the physical need of the patient.
2. Proper nutritional care is essential since the patient may refuse food because of suspicion, indifference (negligence) or too busy or over-active that he forgets to take food.
3. So it is important to supervise the patient’s nutrition and if necessary, intravenous fluids will be given to avoid dehydration.
4. During acute state, it is important to look for any injuries sustained during excitement and these should be attended to.
5. The acutely excited patients should always be approached with the assistance of other nursing staff or attenders.

Nursing Care of the Chronic Schizophrenics:

• Appropriate nutrition regular diet and supervision of his diet.
• Taking care of personal hygiene-regular bath and cleanliness.
• Elimination has to be carefully watched-attend to care of the skin because a chronic schizophrenic living in a crowded, closed place are prone to develop skin problems like Scabies, eczema etc.
• It is the responsibility of the nurse to improve his communication and also his social contacts by encouraging the relatives/friends to visit him often.
• It is also the responsibility of the nurse to give importance to the personal identity of the patient.
• He should be accepted as a human being and should be given responsible work in the ward set-up.
• Patiently and positively hear the suggestions from the patient himself in implementing the routine ward work.

In the nursing care of a chronic schizophrenic, emphasis should be placed on the five “R”

• Reassurance
• Readjustment
• Reeducation
• Rehabilitation
• Recreation.

More questions related to this article:

1. Define schizophrenia.
2. What is schizophrenia?
3. What do you mean by schizophrenia?
4. What is the definition of schizophrenia?
5. Explain nursing care of schizophrenia.
6. Mention the nursing management of Schizophrenia patient.
7. Briefly describe the nursing care of schizophrenia.
8. Give the nursing management of a patient of paranoid schizophrenia.
9. What are the nursing interventions in schizophrenia?
10. Enumerate the nursing care plan for schizophrenia.
11. Describe the nursing care plan for schizophrenia.