UTILIZING ROGERS THEORY OF SELF-CONCEPT IN MENTAL-HEALTH NURSING

The work of mental health nurse is interactive in nature, the priority of which is the effective development and maintenance of a therapeuti c relationship with clients. This field of nursing bases its practice on theories from many schools of thought in order to provide clients w ith the highest quality of care. One such theory is that of Carl Roger s whose practice as a psychotherapist was based on his Theory of Self- Concept. This paper examines the development of the Theory of Self-Con cept from the works of Cooley, Mead, Allport and Rogers and relates to the therapeutic alliance between a primary nurse and a client who has been medically diagnosed as being 'depressed'. The implications for p ractice are considered and some of the difficulties of utilizing Roger s' theory on an in-patient unit are explored. The paper emphasizes the need for nurses to be aware of the use of such theories in order to e nrich the care that clients receive. It also highlights the need for n urses to be aware of their own 'self' when working with clients, a sta te that can only be achieved if the nurses themselves have adequate cl inical supervision and an environment which is supportive of such work .