Our Philosophy of Care

Nursing at the University of Michigan Psychiatric Hospitals strives to provide patient-centered care which meets the physical, maturational, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients; care which preserves patient autonomy and encourages patient involvement in the planning and delivery of care. The nursing process is the foundation upon which our nurses exercise clinical judgement and decision making regardless of the clinical setting.

Our Patients and Families

The University of Michigan Psychiatric Hospitals provide specialized services to children, adolescents and adults on an inpatient, outpatient and emergency basis. Many of these services are located in the University Hospital, one of the most impressive clinical facilities ever designed. Additional services may be found in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital and the various outpatient clinics in the Medical Center.

Our Nursing Team

Psychiatric nursing is a specialized nursing response to people experiencing problems between cognitive, behavioral or emotional functioning. While nursing is both an art and a science, the art of psychiatric nursing is the skillful and purposeful utilization of self in a relationship to achieve mutually defined outcomes. The Department of Psychiatric Nursing endorses primary nursing as the model through which this relationship occurs and nursing responses are organized.

The primary nursing model requires the nurse to be self-directed and engaged in a process of continuous professional development. As professionals, they have a recognized responsibility to exercise leadership within the profession and the community at large. They are, therefore, encouraged to participate in social and educational activities that affect the practice of nursing and the quality of health care. The Department of Psychiatric Nursing is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth, including a fully individualized orientation, support for participation in professional development activities and various inservice programs.

Our nurses have provided the dedication, creativity and vision to enable major achievements in nursing practice. For most of the nurses here, the opportunity to work in a dynamic patient care, teaching and research center is one of the most stimulating aspects of their practice. As integral members of the treatment team on their unit, our nurses know the value of working in a progressive health care environment where their ideas, professional knowledge and human values are respected and welcomed.