Having worked in a variety of specialty areas over the years as staff nurses, clinical nurse specialists, educators, therapists, and managers, we realize that nurses aspire to become highly proficient in their area of practice. But psychosocial skills are often more difficult to perfect. Very often nurses feel inadequately prepared to deal with complex behaviors and psychiatric problems on top of the demands of providing physical care for the patient and family. Even nurses who practice in the psychiatric setting find themselves dealing with unique situations that challenge their level of expertise. And yet, a large percentage of a nurse’s time is spent dealing with these issues.

Psychosocial Nursing for General Patient Care bridges the gap between the information contained in the large, comprehensive psychiatric texts and the information needed to function effectively in a variety of healthcare settings. The clinician can refer to this resource to find the information to effectively handle specific patient problems. The nursing student can use this resource as a supplement to other texts and will be useful throughout nursing school curriculum.

The concise, quick reference format used throughout this resource allows the nurse to easily find information on a specific psychosocial problem commonly seen in practice. In addition to common psychosocial problems, psychiatric disorders are explained and discussed. Each chapter is organized to provide easy access to information on etiology, assessment, age-specific implications, nursing diagnosis and interventions, patient/family education, interdisciplinary management including pharmacology, and community based care. The fast-paced healthcare environment we are all experiencing demands quick assessment and treatment plans that are realistic, cost-effective, and outcome driving. The information contained in this resource is readily applicable to all patient care settings.

Each psychosocial problem includes a section on common nurses’ reactions to the patient behaviors that may result from the problem. Nurses often think they should only have acceptable and “proper” emotional reactions to their patients. Nurses may deny certain feelings and have unrealistic expectations of themselves. These factors impact how the nurse then responds to the patient’s problems. The more aware the nurse becomes of how one reacts to the patient’s behaviors, the easier it will be to accept one’s own feelings and understand how these feelings affect the patient and influence interventions.

In this third edition we have added two new chapters that reflect concerns faced by many nurses. The Homeless Patient with Chronic Illness reflects the increasingly frequent encounters that nurses in all areas of the country are facing. Disaster Planning and Response–Psychosocial Impact provides the nurse with tools to prepare for the emotional impact of a natural or man-made disaster. Throughout this third edition we have updated information on patient safety, pharmacologic interventions, and psychiatric diagnoses and treatment. We continue to include information that will apply to the inpatient hospital setting, long-term care, and outpatient care.

We wish to thank our contributors Yoshi Arai and Margaret Mitchell who revised their chapters from the second edition. We also thank our new contributors Bill Whetstone and Carl Magnum. Particular thanks go to our editors Annette Ferrans and Joanne DaCunha of FA Davis. This was our third collaboration with Joanne and she remains a dynamic force that keeps us on track.

For those of you familiar with our earlier two editions, you will notice the name of author Marcia L. Raines, RN, PhD is missing. Marcia died in 2006 after a long illness. Marcia was the consummate nurse who strove for excellence throughout her career. She started as a psychiatric nurse, became a clinical nurse specialist, was an educator and administrator, and faculty member and chair of a university school of nursing. She inspired countless nurses over the years with her wise and gentle approach. She strove for excellence in all aspects of her career. Working with her on the previous two editions was always a joy because of her genuine love of the work and her enthusiasm to produce an outstanding resource. Marcia wrote many of the original chapters from the first and second edition including chapters on anxiety, sexual dysfunction, confusion, pain, and sleep. We have strived to carry on in her memory but know the nursing world has lost a great one. This edition is dedicated to Marcia.

Linda M. Gorman
Donna F. Sultan