I have learned a lot from this experience about mental health and myself as a future nurse. Before today, I had not had a one-on-one conversation with a patient with BPD or Schizophrenia. Going into this experience I was very nervous about the questions I was supposed to ask and how to respond to unexpected situations. I have learned a lot about how the variety of demeanors made us have to rapidly alter our communication styles to fit what was best for the patient. I can see myself using this skill within clinical practice. Our direct and focused question style for a person with BPD was completely different than the questions we asked a patient with severe depression. I also learned that I have to expect the unexpected with how patients may react. Specifically, during our conversations with the BPD actor, I was very caught off guard as the woman called me out for smiling. I was smiling because after our mid-interview debrief we had a coherent plan as to where we wanted this conversation to go. As the second half of our conversation began, it did not go as planned which made me smile and laugh. I was quickly able to adjust my frame of mind and correct my wrongdoings. This situation threw me for a loop which is something to always expect in practice. I hope to eventually develop a large skill set to therapeutically respond to situations like this one. Another thing I have learned is that upon instilling hope in a patient it is important to figure out what the patient thinks their individual strengths are. This can provide motivation for the client which may be one of the biggest factors to regaining one’s mental health. This is one of the many tools I will use throughout my nursing career.
