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Having come from a general nursing background to mental health I found myself confronted with frustration, not just my own but that of my colleagues as well.
In general nursing the nurses have autonomy, they are regarded for the most part as professionals, they are included as part of the multi-disciplinary team and what they have to say is listened to.
Now when you compare general nurses to mental health nurses the difference is amazing, they are still supposedly part of the multi-disciplinary team, yet the feeling is different. There are many who are not confident enough to write in a nurses report their opinions, they leave it totally up to the doctors. The sense you get from the doctors and consultants is one of 'I am God', and often the nurses feed that delusion.
Recently I was informed that I was on the course I wanted and also I am assisting with the Woman's Clinic, which is the female side of the all new GP clinic we have starting on site. You'll note it's a GP clinic and not a nurse led clinic. I've been put forward for the clinic because of my general background only the whole thing has left me again feeling uncomfortable and frustrated.
A few weeks ago I stood in the office after an independent review of a secluded patient, there were senior nurses in the room and they sat with their mouths shut while the independent panel planned to release a patient who has threatened to attack each member of the nursing team on the ward when released, one of the threats as recently as the evening before.
In these situations I find it difficult to stay quiet, I argued with the consultant and one of the most senior nurses on site, bringing to their attention the recent threats and acts of aggression. Still the senior nurses on our team stayed quiet.
Having spoken to the general nurse attached to the GP clinic, I remember why I speak out and how through my training I was taught that I was a professional with as valid a view as any consultant, that it was I that was with the patient for more than 5 minutes during rounds and that it was I that the consultants relied on to give them clear feed back on how that patient was and how they were responding.
I'm left wondering how it is that mental health nurses were left so far behind that they are still handmaidens to the doctors when the general nurses pushed ahead with becoming respected professionals.
In general nursing the nurses have autonomy, they are regarded for the most part as professionals, they are included as part of the multi-disciplinary team and what they have to say is listened to.
Now when you compare general nurses to mental health nurses the difference is amazing, they are still supposedly part of the multi-disciplinary team, yet the feeling is different. There are many who are not confident enough to write in a nurses report their opinions, they leave it totally up to the doctors. The sense you get from the doctors and consultants is one of 'I am God', and often the nurses feed that delusion.
Recently I was informed that I was on the course I wanted and also I am assisting with the Woman's Clinic, which is the female side of the all new GP clinic we have starting on site. You'll note it's a GP clinic and not a nurse led clinic. I've been put forward for the clinic because of my general background only the whole thing has left me again feeling uncomfortable and frustrated.
A few weeks ago I stood in the office after an independent review of a secluded patient, there were senior nurses in the room and they sat with their mouths shut while the independent panel planned to release a patient who has threatened to attack each member of the nursing team on the ward when released, one of the threats as recently as the evening before.
In these situations I find it difficult to stay quiet, I argued with the consultant and one of the most senior nurses on site, bringing to their attention the recent threats and acts of aggression. Still the senior nurses on our team stayed quiet.
Having spoken to the general nurse attached to the GP clinic, I remember why I speak out and how through my training I was taught that I was a professional with as valid a view as any consultant, that it was I that was with the patient for more than 5 minutes during rounds and that it was I that the consultants relied on to give them clear feed back on how that patient was and how they were responding.
I'm left wondering how it is that mental health nurses were left so far behind that they are still handmaidens to the doctors when the general nurses pushed ahead with becoming respected professionals.
