Formative Assignment1
MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR A NURSE WITH PTSD AND GRIEF
Student’s Name
Department, University
Course Details
Professor’s Name
Date
Formative Assignment2
Introduction
This assignment involves a case study of a female nurse who has been admitted to a
psychiatric hospital after a mental breakdown after the traumatic loss of her teenage son, who
died by suicide. As a healthcare professional, she was not used to caring for herself, but the
overwhelming grief and guilt from her son’s death caused her to descend into a rapid decline in
her mental health. She is currently suffering from Complicated Grief Disorder, Major Depressive
Disorder (MDD) with psychotic features, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The task
is about critically discussing, describing, and analyzing the effect on her mental health, the
assessment process that was used to identify her needs, and the interventions that were
implemented to help her recover. This essay will discuss these key points to give us an overview
of the roles of mental health assessments and interventions in care planning.
Section A: What may have influenced
1. The Complex Grief Disorder is mostly caused by the traumatic death of her son, whom
she had in her life from the day he was born up to when he died. The intense grief that
lasts longer than the expected duration spent in grief may involve a preoccupation with
the deceased and guilt. Since the time she thought she might have been able to save her
son, this grief is fueled by the nurse’s guilt and self-blame.
2. Social Determinants of Health: She might also be suffering from social factors, such as
isolation and stigma, which affect her mental health. She may be a healthcare
professional herself and having a hard time appreciating that she has mental health
struggles and that shame and reluctance to get help. Healthcare professionals who suffer
from mental health issues may feel stigma and delay seeking treatment, which can further
complicate their condition.
Formative Assignment3
3. Nurse’s Profession: High levels of stress involved in her profession can pose a threat to
the mental health of the nurse. Her work nature and the emotional stress of caring for
someone else while attempting to deal with her trauma take their toll on her mental
health. The stress-vulnerability model can be used to explain the mechanism of how
prolonged exposure to work demands and the emotional strain from grief, for example,
may result in the triggering or exacerbation of mood disorders such as depression and
PTSD.
Section B: The Assessment Process
Frameworks Guiding the Assessment Process
Care Program Approach: Framework used widely in mental health settings. It is a structured
process that helps assess the individual’s mental health needs and develop a complete care plan.
The CPA would assess the nurse’s symptoms of grief, depression, and PTSD and make sure that
her care plan is specific to her needs.
Recovery Approach: This focuses on the nurse’s strengths, goals, and capacity for recovery using
a person-centered model of care. Hope, self-management, and empowerment are critical to
someone experiencing grief and trauma as they recover. This would add that the nurse is
involved in her care plan, and her autonomy is respected.
Assessments Tools and Techniques
The mental health needs of the nurse are assessed, which helps determine the nurse’s care
planning process. To understand the nurse’s condition, the Biopsychosocial Model will explore
the assessment process by providing a more holistic view of the biological, psychological, and
Formative Assignment4
social factors. This will include assessing the nurse's biological, psychological, and social
factors.
Section C: Evidence-Based Interventions
Various evidence-based interventions can be considered to assist the nurse’s recovery.
Assessment of these interventions should be accompanied by the nurse’s specific mental health
needs informed by these interventions as they should be aligned with the assessment process.
Psychotherapy: This will involve Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Grief Counselling
Pharmacotherapy: This involves the use of medications in managing the symptoms of
depression and PTSD.
Family therapy and Social Therapy
Conclusion
