The Basque Health Service, Osakidetza, has highlighted the role of mental health nurses on the occasion of International Mental Health Nurses Day, celebrated this Tuesday, September 1st. The health organization emphasized their contribution to the care, support, and humanization of care for people experiencing mental health conditions, in a context where challenges in this field have intensified and diversified.
Osakidetza emphasizes that mental health nursing has become an essential pillar, acting as an agent of change and promoting the dignity, autonomy, and overall well-being of patients and their families. The work of these professionals extends beyond mere clinical care , as they also play a key role in early detection, emotional support, and the social integration of those living with mental health conditions.
A growth of 24,6% in the last five years
Osakidetza currently has 405 specialist mental health nursing positions , distributed across Álava (116), Gipuzkoa (67), and Bizkaia (222). This figure represents a 24,6% increase since 2021, reflecting the Basque healthcare system's commitment to strengthening an area that increasingly demands more attention and resources.
These professionals provide services to both adults and children and adolescents in community settings such as mental health centers, day hospitals, home care, and community outreach, as well as in hospitals. Furthermore, their presence extends to educational and work environments, where they contribute to the early detection of emotional problems and the promotion of psychological well-being.
The geographical distribution of positions reflects the needs of each area, with Bizkaia leading the way by concentrating more than half of the posts. Staff growth has been significant in recent years , and Osakidetza emphasizes that this trend will continue to meet the increasing demand for psychological care.
Broad and multidimensional functions
In the community setting, mental health nursing facilitates continuity of care, social participation, and relapse prevention, acting as a bridge between the healthcare system and the community. In the hospital setting, it provides intensive care, emotional support, clinical monitoring, and family support, ensuring a safe and therapeutic environment.
María López de Gámiz, Deputy Director of Nursing and Care at Osakidetza, explains that “the functions are broad, multidimensional and supported by scientific evidence and the ethics of care ,” and that all of this contributes to transforming mental health services into fairer, more inclusive and effective spaces.
Among the tasks performed by these professionals are the comprehensive evaluation of the patient's mental, emotional and social state, the development and implementation of personalized care plans, the education and support of patients and families about the disease and treatments, crisis intervention and the management of risk situations such as suicide prevention, the promotion of autonomy and recovery, and the defense of human rights and the fight against stigma.
Four pillars that define current practice
Osakidetza highlights four fundamental pillars that define current mental health nursing practice. The first is person-centered care , which recognizes each patient's history, values, and life goals, promoting personalized and meaningful care. The second is therapeutic support, which fosters self-care, autonomy, and social integration through a flexible, supportive presence adapted to real-life contexts.
The third pillar is humanized care, which guarantees dignity, respect, and active participation in the care process, in line with the Osakidetza Humanization Model and the Basque Country Mental Health Strategy 2023-2028. And the fourth is the commitment to dignity and recovery, which implies a comprehensive approach that goes beyond symptomatology to address the social, emotional, and relational dimensions of the person.
These principles are applied across all levels of the care system, from mental health centers and day hospitals to home care and community-based services. Each level of care provides a different type of support , but all share the same goal: to promote recovery and improve the lives of those living with mental health conditions.
On this day, Osakidetza (the Basque Health Service) recognized “the commitment, creativity, and passion of the nurses who, day after day, care for, support, and humanize the lives of those who need it most,” highlighting their fundamental role from the first contact with the healthcare system to full reintegration into the community. Mental health nursing is thus consolidating its position as an essential pillar of the Basque healthcare system, with a growing workforce and an increasingly humanized and person-centered approach.
