Independent living for the chronically mentally ill

1. Many of the systems problems faced by the chronically mentally ill and their caregivers could be ameliorated by applying the principles of primary nursing. 2. Psychiatric nurses as primary caregivers of the chronically mentally ill can intervene at the client level (assessment, education, medication monitoring, family counseling) and at the systems level (networking, boundary-spanning, advocacy). 3. Psychiatric nurses are a natural and largely untapped resource for improving the care of the chronically mentally ill in the community.