A comprehensive clinical assessment is a unique opportunity for intervention as a in the psychotherapy context because it extends further by diagnosing medical diseases that are not identified at first sight without the proper training. It goes very deep on the patient demographics, interpersonal relationships, culture, background, history allowing the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner to understand the whole scenario, to create a plan of care focused on patient needs, to implement interventions based on the results from previous assessment and to achieve the desired health outcomes (Walker & 1Hall, 2022). This comprehensive clinical assessment also allows mental health professionals to establish a very strong therapist-patient relationship by making these last ones feel respected, heard, supported and in a professional environment with a huge variety of resources ready to assist them with their needs. There might be mental diseases that could be under covered if whoever it trying to diagnose them does not have the required clinical expertise but thanks to the comprehensive clinical assessment medical issues, childhood or past traumas or conflicts that had not been resolved can be addressed by discovering the root of the problems that were disturbing the patients and destabilizing their feelings, emotions, and psyche (Perera, 2023). After gathering all the information obtained by the comprehensive clinical assessment the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner can create a plan of care with short term and long-term goals focused on resolving their patients’ needs and involving patients and their families in the decision-making process. It is very important to mention that this process does not ends with the implementation of plan of care because the rate of success depends also on monitoring progress through the whole process of the psychotherapy journey by evaluating level of functioning, symptoms and signs, well-being in general, allowing the Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to adjust treatments, interventions, to re-elaborate strategies based on every scenario (Coelho, 1, 3, 3, & 1Roldán Merino, 2021). These adjustments in the plan of care must be made taking into consideration what is most beneficial for the patient and without causing any harm because it is well known that rushing into diagnosis without performing a thorough clinical assessment first, can lead to misdiagnosis and higher costs, waste of time for patients and their families (Schiepek, et al., 2019).
Works Cited
Coelho, J., 1, 2. F., 3, 4. C., 3, 6. F., & 1Roldán Merino, J. (2021). The structure and contents of the helping relationship as a nursing psychotherapeutic intervention: A modified e‐Delphi study. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 148-156. (9p).
Perera, R. (2023). Transformation of Cognitive Behavior Therapy as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention in Contemporary Health Care: A Review. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 180-192. (13p).
Schiepek, G., 1, 2.‐S. B., 2Kronberger, H., 2Aichhorn, W., 1, 2. L., 4Heinz, P., . . . 5Schöller, H. (2019). The Therapy Process Questionnaire ‐ Factor analysis and psychometric properties of a multidimensional self‐rating scale for high‐frequency monitoring of psychotherapeutic processes. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy , 586-602. (17p).
Walker, N., & 1Hall, S. (2022). The initial design and programme theory for a new work-focused psychotherapeutic intervention to treat moderate-severe recurrent depression and enhance job retention. Mental Health Review Journal, 372-397. (26p).
