Discuss the role of the professional nurse in relation to a public Essay

Discuss the role of the professional nurse in relation to a public health issue - Essay Example Analysis of the distinct needs and problems of mentally unfit people, as a result of alcohol abuse will be initially discussed. The role of professional nurses in order to deal with the problem will also be discussed in detail. Consumption or abuse of alcohol may be a reason or a result of mental depression and ill health. Alcoholic abuse severally affects the personal as well as professional lives of the patients. These problems may take the form of family conflict, job loss and financial problems (Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse, 2002). These issues eventually lead to serious mental problems like increased levels of anxiety and depression. But the abuser initially experiences placebo effect on consumption of alcohol, a state of feeling illusionary pleasures. Later the exploitation of alcohol starts to exert a depressing effect on the central nervous system, resulting in behavioral and mood changes (Vadlamudi, Adams, Hogan, Wu, Wahid, 2008). This results in increasing alcohol consumption to an extent that the mental health recovery becomes even more difficult. The role of nursing in influencing the mental health of great many people is highly important. The unique skills practiced by nurses in dealing with variety of patients puts a lot of pressure on their duties. Mental health nursing can be considered as one of the most multifarious and challenging fields of nursing. A mental health nurse may have to work in a group which possibly consist of general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and assistants or individually in dealing with public health issues. These mental health patients who feel themselves extremely excluded and rejected need not only medical but also emotional help. Hence it becomes very important to endeavor as much as possible to bring