الفهرس 
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Abstract
Psychotropic medication is a broad term described medications which affect mental function, behavior, and experience.
There are six main groups of psychiatric medications included antidepressants, antipsychotic, stimulants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, sedative–hypnotics, and, arguably, cognitive enhancers. These agents cross the blood–brain barrier and can alter perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. Psychotropic medications are widely used and pose challenges when they are stopped. If these medications are stopped abruptly, re-emergence of the patient’s initial symptoms as well as withdrawal syndromes can occur. As a general rule, dosages should be slowly decreased when discontinuing the medications nurses knowledge, skill and attitudes has become an important part for caring of psychiatric patient in order to provide quality care and information effectively by health education, develop strategies to manage side effects of psychotropics,
Nurses are one of the largest groups of professionals working in the health care system. Their presence in the health care system played a very important role and helped in the speedy recovery from the illnesses. A psychiatric nurse played a very important role from the time of admission to discharge in which orientation, meeting all type of needs especially biological and emotional needs, explaining rights to patient, maintaining confidentiality, taking informed consent and following so many roles when patient goes to parole, all come under legal responsibilities of a psychiatric nurse
This study aim to assess psychiatric nurses knowledge skill and attitudes toward psychotropic agent.
A descriptive exploratory design was utilized in this study.
The study was conducted at the psychiatric and mental health hospital in Benha city, Kaluobia governorate, which is affiliated to the ministry of health. It has 6 departments (5 males and 1 female), with a capacity of 250 beds and the total numbers of patients are 200 patients (40 females and 160 males). It has total numbers of nurses are 214 nurses (32 bachelor of nursing).
To implement this study following tools were used:
1- Socio-demographic characteristics sheet (personal & professional data).
2- Nurses knowledge about antipsychotic medications scale.
3- Nurses attitudes toward psychotropic medications scale.
4- Nurses checklist performance toward psychotropic medications
The main findings of this study revealed that:
One half of the studied nurses are males and the most of the studied nurses are married while small proportion are single and widows. Also about half of the studied nurse are working in inpatient males department, one quarter are working in inpatient female department, sixth of studied nurses are working in outpatient clinics while only four percent are working in addiction department and more than half of the studied nurses had attended training courses while about one third of the studied nurses didn’t attend any training courses.
But one third of those who did not attend training courses declare that they don’t see any sign for a training course and the second one have no desire to attend training courses.
While sixth of those who did not attend the training courses reported that there were no time for them to attend while small proportion declared that the workplace doesn’t require attendance.
This table shows a low mean percentage scores for the knowledge about adverse events and complications among studied nurses
The study shows a low mean knowledge score among studied nurses 57.7%,
While shows a high mean attitude score 74.4% and high mean practice percentage score 81.4%
And there is no significant correlation between the total mean knowledge and total attitude scores among studied nurses.
Also there is no significant correlation between the total knowledge score and total practice score among studied nurses.
And there is no significant correlation between the total attitude score and total practice score among studied nurses
Conclusion: Psychiatric nurses had low knowledge level about adverse effects and complications of psychotropics, they had good attitude and practice toward psychotropics and about one third of studied nurse didn’t attend any training courses about psychotropics.
Recommendations: Encouraging nurses to participate in training courses at hospital to be most knowledgeable in the field of psychiatric nursing, seeking for making workshops periodically and engage nursing staff at work by rotation.