Nursing Component Task
Nursing procedures & clinical learning

Community Mental Health Nursing (RCMN)

EDUCATING THE PSYCHIATRIC CLIENT ON PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE AT HOME

This is a process where the RCPN teaches and gives information to the client diagnosed of mental disorder and his family on ways of ensuring personal and environmental hygiene at home. This activity helps to enlighten client and family to achieve good health.

Purpose

  • Promote physical and environmental hygiene of a client living with mental illness

Indications

  • Teaching the client diagnosed with a mental disorder and the family about personal and environmental hygiene at home.
  • Promoting the physical and environmental hygiene of a client living with mental illness.
  • Supporting the client to achieve and maintain good health.

Equipment

  • A Well-Equipped home visit bag (refer to content)
  • Community Map and or GhanaPost Global Positions System (GPS)
  • Manual/electronic area register/ records of the client
  • Means of Transportation
  • Teaching learning materials e.g. diagrams, flyers, projectors, videos etc.

Preparation

  • Read the community map or GPS and identify the home of the client.
  • Carry a well-equipped home visit bag and arrange transportation.
  • Gather teaching and learning materials such as diagrams, flyers and projectors.

Procedure steps

  • Read map of the community or use GhanaPost Global Positions System (GPS) address to identify the location of the centre
  • Announce your presence, enter on response, greet and introduce yourself to client, family and significant other
  • Establish rapport (refer to procedure) and enquire about the general health of family
  • Explain purpose of the education
  • Ensure privacy and confidentiality by asking the family to identify a suitable place for the session
  • Ensure the environment is clean, safe and conducive for the education
  • Ask about general health of client
  • Establish rapport with the client
  • Interviews and educate client on the following:
  • Care of the body (hair, nails, armpit and groin)
  • Baths with adequate water and soap
  • Appropriate clothing where necessary
  • Bowel action
  • Importance of sleeping under treated bed net
  • Diet and eating pattern
  • Environmental hygiene
  • Drainage of waste water
  • Refuse disposal (dry and wet)
  • Importance of good ventilation and lighting
  • Care of client's room
  • Encourages client to ask questions and appropriate answers given
  • Document all procedures in to the reports book
  • Express appreciation and depart

Precautions

  • Ensure privacy and confidentiality by asking the family to identify a suitable place for the session.
  • Ensure the environment is clean, safe and conducive for the education.
  • Establish rapport with the client and use simple language the client understands.
  • Document all procedures in the report book after the session.

Aftercare

  • Encourage the client to ask questions and provide appropriate answers.
  • Express appreciation and depart after summarising the education.

Nursing considerations

  • Interview and educate the client on personal and environmental hygiene topics relevant to the home.
  • Teach the care of the client's room and the importance of a clean, dry and well-lit environment.

Patient education

  • Educate the client on care of the body, including hair, nails, armpit and groin.
  • Educate on baths with adequate water and soap, appropriate clothing and bowel action.
  • Educate on sleeping under a treated bed net, diet, drainage of waste water, refuse disposal and good ventilation and lighting.

Documentation

  • Document all procedures in the report book.

References and further reading

Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.

Open Component Task app