An Integrated Mental Health Clinical Rotation

The most common site for accessing mental health care is the primary care setting. Yet, primary care nurses are not adequately prepared to treat the complex mental health needs of these patients. Similarly, providers in segregated mental health sites do not adequately address physical health needs. New educational models are needed to better prepare nursing graduates to provide holistic care. The integrated mental health model, which colocates mental health specialists in primary care sites, is designed to do this. This article describes key curricular elements of a successful interprofessional clinical rotation within an integrated mental health team that included the use of case studies, a standardized mental health screening instrument, a quality improvement process, and a patient satisfaction questionnaire. Family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students learned to collaborate with each other and with other members of the interprofessional team to provide holistic care.