11.1 Introduction
Learning Outcomes
- Apply the nursing process to patients with psychosis
- Describe nursing assessments related to psychosis and schizophrenia
- Identify common nursing problems/diagnoses related to psychosis
- Establish a safe environment
- Apply evidence-based practice when planning and implementing nursing care
- Describe common treatments for psychosis and schizophrenia
- Identify appropriate referrals to community resources
- Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
- Provide education to patients and their family members
This section will focus on psychosis and the disorder schizophrenia. Psychosis is a phenomenon in which the thought processes are disordered, leading to a variety of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and altered behaviors and speech. Some psychotic illnesses are chronic and lead to serious difficulties with functioning. Other types are treatable and finite.
