18th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Balancing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder
Carissa J. Allen
Ms. Rebecca P. McClanahan, Faculty Mentor
This case study was conducted for the purpose of understanding the lived experience of mental illness while working with a person with Bipolar Disorder involved in a psychosocial rehabilitation program. Nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions were selected from the standardized nursing language of the North American Nursing diagnosis Association, the Nursing Outcomes Classification taxonomy, and the Nursing Intervention Classification taxonomy. The resulting nursing care plan was implemented during five nurse-client interactions occurring over a two-month period. The metaphor of “balancing” and the image of the scales is used to describe the mood changes of a person with bipolar disorder from the highs of mania to the lows of depression. The emergent themes that arose from this interaction were grief, the balance in moods from mania to depression, and knowledge of the treatment regimen. Caring themes used by the nursing student included encouragement, active listening, counseling and teaching.
Keywords:
Topic(s):Nursing
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 29-45
Location: OP Lobby & Atrium
Time: 1:15