Behavioural Health

Part 1

Staffing in behavioural healthcare facilities is keenly conducted, taking into consideration of the education requirements, competency to perform the required duties and responsibilities. This research paper provides job responsibilities and duties of psychiatric, psychologist, social worker as well as a psychiatric nurse. It also highlights the type of education that is required for each of the profession and personal opinion regarding one of the jobs that are changing to work based on the needs required.

Psychiatrists are physicians who have specialized in using healthcare practices in treating and managing mental illnesses and disorders such as bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and addictions. Research by Annamalai 2013, has shown that psychiatrists must perform duties such as analyzing a patient’s mental health status to provide the appropriate treatment. Based on the same study, the psychiatrists can admit patients to the behavioural healthcare facilities, order tests, and prescribe medication or therapy for them (Annamalai, 2013).The study further adds that the psychiatrists can hold discussions with patients to diagnose mental disorders. Based on the survney, the psychiatrists’ education requirements include a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Additionally, the psychiatrists must pass a medical college admission cat before they apply to medical school (Annamalai, 2013).

A psychologist is an individual who has specialized in the study of the brain regarding human behaviour and personality. Research conducted by Prospects 2017, shows that the duties and responsibilities of psychologists vary according to their speciality. Counseling psychologists are obligated to lead group or individual counseling sessions in schools, hospitals or even own practices (Prospects, 2017). They foster positive mental health and personal growth. Clinical psychologists are bound to prevent, diagnose and treat mental problems and disorders. Research further indicates that psychologists are required to have at least an undergraduate degree in psychology (Prospects, 2017).

Part 2

A social worker is an individual trained to help people, families, and groups solve problems in their daily lives, and improve their lives as well. Based on the research conducted by Dinneka 2015,  indicates that social workers are obligated with duties like assessing a patient’s needs, situations, strengths and identify support networks to determine their objective (Dinneka, 2015).They also develop plans to help improve the client’s well- being. Lastly, they are also responsible for responding to crisis situations like child abuse and advocate for help. Regarding the education requirement, a bachelor’s degree in social work is the standard requirement for the entry-level position. Additionally, graduates are required to have completed supervised fieldwork or internship (Dinneka, 2015).

A psychiatric nurse is a specialized mental nurse that is responsible planning and provision of support as well as medical and nursing care to patients in the healthcare facilities, at home and other settings who are suffering from mental illnesses. Based on research conducted by the NursingTimesJobs, 2013, psychiatric nurses organize workloads and visit patients at home, administer medication and review care plans and monitor patient progress. The education requirement of psychiatric nurse includes ca successful completion of a 3-4 year bachelor’s degree course (NursingTimesJobs, 2013).

From my perspective, working as a social worker is the most challenging among the profession. This is because helping people to solve their problems is not easy. Imparting and convincing them to adopt a positive lifestyle is quite challenging.

It is not advisable for a primary care physician to prescribe psychiatric medicine to their patient because they have specialized as primary care physicians and not a psychiatrist. Therefore they have to give the psychiatrist an opportunity to prescribe treatment to the patients because they are the specialists in the field. However this does not mean the primary care physician cannot prescribe the treatment, it is because he or she has specialized in a different field.