8.1 Introduction
Learning Objectives
- Apply the nursing process to clients with bipolar disorders
- Describe nursing assessments related to bipolar disorders
- Identify common nursing problems/diagnoses related to bipolar disorders
- Establish a safe environment
- Apply evidence-based practice when planning and implementing nursing care
- Describe common treatments for bipolar disorders
- Identify appropriate referrals to community resources
- Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
- Provide patient education to clients and their family members
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to think clearly. Moods shift from abnormally elevated moods called manic episodes to abnormal low moods of depression. See Figure 8.1[1] for a depiction of the shifts in mood that occur with bipolar disorder. Severe bipolar episodes of mania can also include hallucinations or delusions, which can be confused with symptoms of schizophrenia.[2] This chapter will discuss the signs, symptoms, and treatments for bipolar disorder and explain how to apply the nursing process when caring for clients with bipolar disorder.
- “P_culture.svg” by he:משתמש:נעמה מ is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 ↵
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017, August). Bipolar disorder. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Bipolar-Disorder ↵
