Awareness of Medical Emergencies Occur in Patients among Psychiatric Care Area Nurses to Prevent Unnecessary Delay and Save a Life

Essential parts of treatment in reduction of acute behavioral and psychiatric symptoms are medicines. That in turn frequently leads patient towards common medical problems like sudden cardiac arrest, respiratory distresses, convulsions and hypoglycemia. The nurses caring for mentally ill require an adequate level of knowledge regarding management of medical emergencies and should develop assessment skills to detect the physical changes in the patients condition. Study objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of self instructional modules among staff nurses and to find the associations of pre test mean knowledge scores with selected demographic variables. One group pre test post test design was used. The sample consisting of 30 staff nurses were fulfilled the inclusion criteria of sample selected from psychiatric inpatient care area. A semi structured knowledge questionnaire was used, developed by investigator. Study showed there was a significant improvement in the knowledge level of nurses after using the SIM. The nurses employed in the inpatient psychiatric care area play a vital role in the health care delivery system. As they provide the direct care to the sick and suffering, they are responsible for rapid assessment and treatment of the patient with medical emergencies, independently and collectively.