A systems approach to improve the physical healthcare interventions available to the service user

This paper describes how South West
Yorkshire Mental Health Trust and the University
of Huddersfield, worked in partnership to
develop pre- and post-registration competency
in order to adopt a systems approach to
implementing the physical well-being
recommendations contained within From Values
to Action: The Chief Nursing Officer’s Review of
Mental Health Nursing (DH, 2006a).
Research has shown that there are good
practice examples of physical health
interventions by qualified health professionals.
However, establishing the baseline skills and
competencies needed to undertake such
activities for both pre- and post-registration
nursing is necessary to ensure effective
interventions are available for the service user.
Obesity will be used as a practical example of
how mental health nurses can improve the
interventions offered to service users.