Improving the Assessment and Triage of Patients with Mental Illness ...

2.5 Conclusion
In this paper a review of the literature on the subjects of mental illness, attitudes
towards mental illness and a triage tool used in the assessment of patients was undertaken.
The results of this paper have shown that mainstreaming of patients with mental illness
through the emergency department has led to considerable difficulties for patients and staff,
particularly for the triage nurses. It has also considered the negative attitudes towards patients
with mental illness and the need for further education in order to address these reactions.
There is a huge emphasis in the literature on the requirement of formal education in mental
health.
The benefits of education in overcoming the negative attitudes and stigma towards
those individuals with a mental illness have been addressed across a large section of the
literature. This literature review has highlighted the fundamental need for a systematic
approach to the triage of patients presenting with a mental illness along with a commitment
reducing waiting times, accelerating transition to the appropriate services and effectively
integrating the care of those with mental illness into the emergency department practices.
Finally the merits of implementing a Mental Health Triage Scale are widely
recognised as it appears to reduce the knowledge deficit and the fear of the unknown for staff
when it comes to this particular cohort of patient. It provides guidelines for the triage nurse to
refer to in line with determining an assumption as to the urgency of the patient presenting to
the emergency department.
The patient that attends the emergency department does so because they need advice
at a time of crisis. It is essential for nurses to assess patients holistically and to consider their
psychological and social state as well as their physical state. Irrespective of the reason for
their attendance, Patients should be provided with a service that is appropriate to them. It was
found that there is a paucity of literature on the perceptions and opinions of patients with
mental illness who attend the emergency department; symptomatic perhaps of the lack of
recognition currently given to this category of patient as a distinct group with particular needs
within emergency departments. In this respect, it is submitted that much more needs to be
done from an Irish context to improve the experiences of those patients with mental illness.
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