Applying effective treatment strategies in day hospitals: A nursing perspective

The closure of psychiatric hospitals in Italy, as in other countries, has led to many chronically disabled patients living relatively impoverished lives in residential homes. There has been an increasing demand to provide day centers for them to enrich their lives in the community. In general, these centers have provided recreation, care, and support. Some have become a focus for developing cooperatives where the less impaired patients have been engaged in constructive work activities. Few centers have attempted to introduce effective treatment strategies and to develop a day-treatment program. 11 Ponte in Ferrara is one center where a team of mainly professionally trained nurses, supported by psychiatrists, has implemented a rehabilitation program for patients with chronic schizophrenia disorders. The program is based on the application of effective pharmacotherapy, mental health education, goal-oriented problem-solving, interpersonal communication and social skills training, and cognitive-behavioral family treatment approaches. The development of this program, its benefits, and its limitations will be discussed from a nursing perspective. The importance of engaging nurses throughout the development of innovative practice is often overlooked but is always crucial.