NURSING MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE PSYCHOTIC EPISODES

Communicating with an individual experiencing an acute psychotic episo de involves skills that can be learned and refined. People experience psychosis in a variety of ways. Assessment skills and increased awaren ess of self are clinical skills that can be learned to improve communi cation and intervention with persons experiencing acute psychosis. Thi s article defines characteristics of acute psychotic episodes with ass essment parameters, initial nursing interventions, and referral source s. The authors offer a model for managing acute psychosis. This staged approach provides options for interventions based on accurate identif ication of the stage of psychosis.