Topics About 'Mental Health'.

After thirty years psychiatric nursing experience in various roles, locum tenens is perfect for me. When I want to work, I sign up with a few agencies, tell them my availability and hope something will come through. This time I can only work in 2 mon...

The alarm clock jolts you awake as it does every morning at 0500, alerting you to the fact that today is yet another work day. You groan and pull the covers over your head momentarily, wishing for nothing more than to crawl into a warm cave like a hi...

Imagine being seated on a comfortable sofa in a warm, well-appointed office designed to make you feel at home, fidgeting nervously and struggling to find a neutral position as the man across the table from you delivers his findings in a kind, but reg...

The alarm jolts you awake as it does every morning after yet another restless, short night's sleep, throwing your systems into fight-or-flight mode as you groan inwardly: "Oh, lord....not again". Your mind fills with dread in anticipation of yet anot...

ETA: Some people have reported they found the context of this story unclear. To set the scene a little better: I was a member of the second last group of hospital-based student nurses; in Australia tertiary education was introduced in the 1980s and c...

Among the challenges of being a healthcare professional with a mental disorder, perhaps none is so difficult as maintaining one's composure during an exacerbation of illness. Not only is it undignified to be so out of control that you disrupt a staff...

My car rolled to a stop at the curb about a half-block from Bev's group home; soft instrumental music filled the interior and cool air blew softly on my face as enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment. I was pleasantly lost in thought and busy scribbl...

Matua is not his real name, it is a Maori term meaning father, used for a Maori gentleman who is 50+ and respected in the eyes of the community. A lot of the staff call him that, whether they are Maori or New Zealand Europeans. Matua believes that I ...

"What is normal anyway--right!!!" I come from a severely paranoid schizophrenic mother; as well, my sister has the same diagnosis. My grandfather, aunt, uncle as well as cousins have mental illnesses; such as: anxiety, depression, hoarding, bipolar...

So you graduated, eh? Now you're in the big leagues. Maybe you're getting ready to graduate and on the brink of your journey into and onto the field. The only thing in your way that separates you from those sweet, delicious fruits of your labor is th...

It was the nightmare every long-term care nurse manager dreads: the exit interview with a state survey team that has just inspected every inch of the building and every piece of nursing documentation produced over the past year.....and found it badly...

Back then, divorce wasn't as common as it is now and her demand caused a lot of controversy in her community. No one could understand why a woman wouldn't want to be with the nice man who wanted to provide for her and many dubbed her a strumpet. But ...

Depression touches most people's lives at some point; like all illnesses it has no consideration for age, race, gender or status in life. Depression can creep up slowly or hit you straight in the face when you least expect it. For many people, especi...

Ed called me to ask if we could have coffee and talk. As his long-term friend and a Faith Community Nurse, I was happy to oblige and we set up a time. When we got together he told me the difficult story of his brother whose wife has serious mental he...

1. Focus on the here and now, not yesterday or the past. The present is all that matters and where it leads to in the immediate future. The present is what placed the person on the unit in the first place. The future allows a way out. 2. Focus on cau...

Eliminating the Stigma Associated with Mental Health Nursing through Education and the Implementation of an Enhanced Clinical Experience for Student Nurses Don't be deluded by the L.I.E.S. : Limited Learning Experiences for Students --> Increased ...