Javier Pita de la Vega Garcia
Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Spain
Title: Role of nursing mental health specialist in Catalonia (Spain) in the care of ASD
Biography
Biography: Javier Pita de la Vega Garcia
Abstract
Specialty of Mental Health Nursing are post-university studies in which specialized training is acquired for two years. To access this training, you must make an opposition and access a place through this exam (art.21 law 44/2003). This mental health specialty does not exist in other European countries and its functions are unknown. To describe the functions that mental health nurses can carry out in patients diagnosed with ASD, a bibliographic review of the needs of patients and the legal framework existing in Spain has been carried out. The functions performed as a specialist nurse are:
- Obtaining the ADOS-2 / ADI-R certificate.
- Psychoeducational groups for parents of children diagnosed with ASD.
- Legotherapy. Multidisciplinary groups.
- Evaluation of mentalism and guidelines related to their difficulties.
- Guidelines for emotional management and frustration tolerance.
- Assessment of tolerance to drug treatment and improvement of medication adherence.
- Visits at the home of the child with ASD and address difficulties from there.
- Work difficulties in eating habits and sensory difficulties related to food.
The increase in patients diagnosed with ASD in the last three years is 20.5% (Catalonia, Spain) with an average of 9 visits per year. The functions performed by skilled mental health nurses allow early diagnosis of children and improve: children's adaptation in the school environment and help parents understand the difficulties..