Life as a new Mental Health nursing student I started this course in April to learn about and get involved in mental health, to pursue my own interest, and to get job satisfaction by doing something useful in society. These sound like laudable aims I am sure, but I honestly had absolutely no idea what to expect from going back into education approaching 30. I was not entirely confident that walking away from a secure (paper-pushing) career path after 8 years was the ‘sensible’ thing to do,
ASICS Running GEL-KINSEI 2 although it certainly felt right… So I am now almost 4 months into the course and about to start my first placement. I have enjoyed my first few months of university, especially the biology lectures since I used to like that subject at school, although I have found it strange to get back into the whole routine of study after such a gap. I have rediscovered the joy of reading text books and doing homework in bed, but I have also felt a strange unease about not being at work since that is what I am used to doing… I have a lot less cash than I had before, so we’ve adjusted the weekly shop and are eating like students and drinking endless cups of tea instead of wine. Which is good for the liver, I suppose. I am excited about starting placement as it will be satisfying to get into a hands-on work-based routine again. I went with a fellow student to visit our placement earlier this week and we were both really enthused and impressed by the progressive approaches we were introduced to, and the whole ethos of person-centred older adult care. Last time I worked in a nursing home (12 years ago) I can remember heated debates at handover between the night shift and the day shift about how many residents had been got up for breakfast. The idea had been to ensure that the routine of getting up, washed, having breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea,
Asics Running Gel Lyte III dinner and going to bed ran to the schedule which was most convenient for the nursing staff. My visit to placement showed me just how much things have changed. Nowadays the emphasis is on the needs of the individual resident: if Doris doesn’t normally get up until 11, and prefers a shower rather than a bath, then she should be supported to continue her personal daily routine. For a patient with dementia or Alzheimer’s, any sort of change of routine or environment can be unsettling and can cause confusion, so person-centred care is important for rehabilitation. We were introduced to the local policies of the placement,
ASICS Suroingu JAPAN AR and how they are founded in research. We were given an idea of how the placement planned to develop further, and were talked through examples of the change process in action. This helped me to see links to our university Personal and Professional Development module and to our placement documents – linking practice to evidence. I am sure I will learn a lot on placement – I only hope I can remember what we did at university by the time we come back in October!
Life as a new Mental Health nursing student I started this course in April to learn about and get involved in mental health, to pursue my own interest, and to get job satisfaction by doing something useful in society. These sound like laudable aims I am sure, but I honestly had absolutely no idea what to expect from going back into education approaching 30. I was not entirely confident that walking away from a secure (paper-pushing) career path after 8 years was the ‘sensible’ thing to do,
ASICS Running GEL-KINSEI 2 although it certainly felt right… So I am now almost 4 months into the course and about to start my first placement. I have enjoyed my first few months of university, especially the biology lectures since I used to like that subject at school, although I have found it strange to get back into the whole routine of study after such a gap. I have rediscovered the joy of reading text books and doing homework in bed, but I have also felt a strange unease about not being at work since that is what I am used to doing… I have a lot less cash than I had before, so we’ve adjusted the weekly shop and are eating like students and drinking endless cups of tea instead of wine. Which is good for the liver, I suppose. I am excited about starting placement as it will be satisfying to get into a hands-on work-based routine again. I went with a fellow student to visit our placement earlier this week and we were both really enthused and impressed by the progressive approaches we were introduced to, and the whole ethos of person-centred older adult care. Last time I worked in a nursing home (12 years ago) I can remember heated debates at handover between the night shift and the day shift about how many residents had been got up for breakfast. The idea had been to ensure that the routine of getting up, washed, having breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea,
Asics Running Gel Lyte III dinner and going to bed ran to the schedule which was most convenient for the nursing staff. My visit to placement showed me just how much things have changed. Nowadays the emphasis is on the needs of the individual resident: if Doris doesn’t normally get up until 11, and prefers a shower rather than a bath, then she should be supported to continue her personal daily routine. For a patient with dementia or Alzheimer’s, any sort of change of routine or environment can be unsettling and can cause confusion, so person-centred care is important for rehabilitation. We were introduced to the local policies of the placement,
ASICS Suroingu JAPAN AR and how they are founded in research. We were given an idea of how the placement planned to develop further, and were talked through examples of the change process in action. This helped me to see links to our university Personal and Professional Development module and to our placement documents – linking practice to evidence. I am sure I will learn a lot on placement – I only hope I can remember what we did at university by the time we come back in October!
Insurance Like many people, I have a mortgage and with it, the necessary life insurance. With mine, I took out the ‘critical cover’ – what this means is that if I die, the mortgage is paid off and if I become ill and cannot work, then the mortgage is paid off. But stop…if I become ill? No, if I become physically ill. Mental illness doesn’t come into it. It’s not covered in any shape or form. Not even a whisper. Basically then, you are not allowed to have a mortgage AND a mental illness.
Onitsuka Tiger Olympos Don’t even think about it. You are being greedy having both things. I have thought a lot about this. I understand the need to cater for someone who loses limbs and so cannot work or someone who develops a terminal illness and so obviously has other priorities than working. I understand that many conditions can stop a person from having a sufficient income that allows them to pay a mortgage. I also understand that insurance companies would probably be inundated with claims if mental illness was included – I am certain that many dishonest people would try to make a claim by claiming a mental illness. But hang on a minute, we have psychiatrists don’t we?
ASICS Suroingu JAPAN AR And aren’t insurance companies renowned for putting in clauses? Why can’t there be a clause that states a mental illness ‘that has lasted at least 6 months and prevents the claimant from working and is under the care of an appropriate medical consultant and is receiving appropriate treatment’? Hopefully the false claims would be weeded out – please note that the sentence above is from my insurance documents but is applied to physical conditions. The insurance company is willing to weed out false claims for physical conditions but will not even entertain the idea of even considering a genuine claim for mental illness. Why not mental illness?
Onitsuka Tiger Tokidoki We know that with many illnesses people are simply unable to work but here they do not have the benefit of insurance that others may have. But I begin from a false ideal, that life is fair.
Shifting the power balance between service user and professional also has its own struggles, some patients appreciate formal health service offered and some professionals may struggle to give up some of their power. I personally feel a positive mental health approach manages to strike a balance between all. I often say a skill of a mental health nurse is knowing when not to take action or when not to take control in the right context. All people should have the right to learn by making their own right and wrong choices. Nurses have distinguished their unique contribution to individual care in terms of empathy, being non-judgemental, allowing time, providing support and promoting positive links with friends and family. I see these as skills rather than roles, although I have seen ‘have a non-judgemental attitude’ in a job description.
Onitsuka Tiger X Tokidoki Fabre The difficulties with these skills as pointed out by Gowodo and Nolan (2008) is that they are almost impossible to quantify, to evidence. It is difficult to produce evidence that demonstrates the level of skill and care delivered by the nurse and also that this work is being done and continues to be an important aspect enhancing patient care and recovery. Having said that, these skills are the pinnacle of good nursing practice and have a lasting impact in the memory of service users. The role of the mental health nurse is ever increasing. With the focus on specialised teams, mental health nurses have become specialised in their own right, adapting and developing skills specific to their area of practice. For example, assertive outreach, home treatment, early intervention, primary care, eating disorders, mother and baby to name but a few of the specific areas a mental health nurse can work and will require an individual approach as a team and towards service users.
ASICS Running GEL-Stratus 2.1 One benefit is that teams have immediate access to specialist skills, expertise and experience to provide a comprehensive and specialised package of care to that particular client group (Department of Health, 2009). The downside of this perhaps is the employability of the mental health nurse as they become more skilled in say eating disorders with a significant loss of experience in other areas.
US perspective The bailout that was signed by former President Bush in October 2008 opened up a new door to health reforms by requiring that group insurance companies require equal coverage for both mental and physical illnesses. This was a milestone in health insurance policies that had previously required higher deductibles and co-pays for various mental illnesses such as autism and alcohol addiction. This has been a political issue for years now,
Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 as so many members of Congress suffer from different types of mental illnesses or have family members with mental illnesses; the subsequent rise in the number of soldiers coming back from Iraq with mental health issues has also been a pressing matter for Congress to debate upon. The mental health debate has been years in the making, with many prominent political figures in the forefront of such a large piece of legislation. The twenty-first century has brought with it a slew of mental health disorders, ranging from those which are unavoidable (autism) to those which we need a multitude of drugs for (schizophrenia). It is unclear as to whether or not some of these diseases are a result of modern society and the fast-paced way in which we run through life, but regardless of this fact, it remains integral that we find a way to combat these illnesses in a way we can afford to. Many scientists have additionally attributed many forms of mental illness to “graying” parts of the brain which require just as much care and treatment as any other debilitating disease; this bill offers sufferers of various mental illnesses to have a chance to assimilate back into society by being able to afford their treatments. Dependencies and alcoholism are some of the major killers in today’s society, ranging from overdosing to alcohol-infused rampages.
Onitsuka Tiger Tokidoki By providing the proper care for these illnesses, many companies will increase their employee productivity and overall well-being through increased health coverage. This bill represents more than just lower costs for sufferers, it offers a new way of life for those of us who are surrounded by these sufferers. Alcoholism affects every realm of a user’s life, from work to school to their home life, and left untreated can transform into a monster which is practically incapable of control. By catching this type of disease earlier on and providing the proper care, we as a society may be able to curtail this increased amount of mental illnesses which is plaguing the country. The fact that many young soldiers are returning home has also caused many politicians to speak out for this legislation; this new generation of soldiers has been left with severe mental scars from Iraq and without proper counseling, they may be released to early back into society.
Onitsuka Tiger California 78 Our country experienced similar amounts of post-traumatic stress after Vietnam, which resulted in many ex-army members killing themselves at home or committing random acts of violence. While the Iraq War is still more supported than Vietnam ever was, thereby allowing the soldiers to assimilate back into society easier, these soldiers are still young men who will be plagued by haunting memories of death for many months (even years) after returning home. This bill has been a long while in the making and proves to revamp our entire health care system by putting mental debilitations on the same par as the physical.
This post looks at some of the issues around the wearing of uniforms in mental health nursing, as usual we would welcome any comments that you may have. Currently, although most mental health nurses do not have to wear uniforms this is under review at our local trust -- (Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust ). According to Deputy Director of Nursing Martin Herriott,
ASICS TOP SEVEN the Trust are looking at re-introducing uniforms in some areas such as acute in-patient and older peoples services. Feedback from both service users and carers indicate that staff are often very hard to identify, uniforms might make this less of a problem as well as making staff appear more professional? Of course, there are ongoing concerns around infection control in areas where staff are likely to be exposed to bodily fluids of any sort. In some areas it is likely that the Trust will avoid uniforms, such as for example long term residential areas where service users are likely to live for any length of time in home like environments. Also, staff going outside of care areas with clients (for instance escorting people to hospital appointments etc) will need to cover up uniforms. Obviously, this is a potentially controversial idea -- although some people are in favour of wearing uniforms,
ASICS Revolve LE (New!) others are likely to be less keen. I found a recent survey amongst patients in a US mental health unit (Miller,T. Mann, N. Grim, R 2010). This study set out to examine patients attitudes about what nurses wore and whether their attire made nurses appear more approachable, competent and professional. Whilst most did have any particular preference what staff wore there was a lot of concern that nurses were difficult to identify. Interestingly, whilst over half of the respondents felt that attire made no difference to approachability, 29% felt that ordinary clothes made nurses seem less approachable! Another, earlier study conducted in London (Tham, S & Ford, T 1995) concluded that it was other staff who had difficulty identifying nurses whilst 36% of patients felt that uniforms made staff less approachable. For some reason, patients in ‘old age wards’ were excluded from this study -- (old age = ‘assume that everyone has dementia?) a shame as this is a client group most likey to encounter nurses wearing uniforms. This aside, it was generally agreed that identification of some sort was really important. Across at Mental Nurse blog there was a discussion about uniform -- most contributors were opposed although there was a contribution from a service user who flagged up the issue of nurses being identifiable (although in fairness, uniform/ identification might not have been at the top of my list of priorities to sort out in this example).
Womens Onitsuka Tiger We did a quick (and totally unscientific survey) with a BCU student group and asked them what they thought about this issue.