UK Mental health nurses???

jennylou · Dec 2, 2008

Hi there,

I'm a second year Mental Health student nurse and I too had no previous experience of working with people with mental illness. Like yourself though, I have dealt with my own and familial mental illnesses.

With reference to your asking is it really dangerous? Then the honest answer is yes and no.

Unfortunately, the media portrayal of people with mental illness serves only to stigmatize such people. How often do we hear about people with Bi-polar in a positive light? Yes, there will be failings in that a patient in the community will stop taking meds and will go on a rampage or whatever, BUT, similar situations whereby Adult nurses are attacked by people who're drunk in busy A + E's occur much more frequently up and down the Country on a regular basis! How much coveridge do these incidents get in the media?! Bottom line really is Nursing can have the POTENTIAL for being dangerous irrespective of one's discipline.

My experiences of placements so far have been pretty varied - currently I'm working in a High Secure Hospital placement. It is very interesting - there is a great deal of health promotion and psychological interventions you can learn about amongst other things.

I think the key to doing mental health is being a good communicator in every sense of the word. If you like a challenge, you want to be involved in the care of patients with a diversity of illnesses that can be challenging at times. If you're adaptable to changing situations etc etc Go for mental health :) I feel like I'm making a small difference to patients lives, I don't think I would gain the same satisfaction doing Adult nursing though I take my hat off to those that do follow that discipline :)

MaryAnn_RN · Dec 3, 2008

I started out as a learning disability student and then got the bug so to speak when on placement in a female surgical ward. I too had the option to change branch and had to write a letter in support of that request. This was followed up by an interview with the heads of both branches. I have to say that I never once regretted the decision to change branch.

Don't forget that in adult nursing we do care not just for the body - there is also the pyschosocial element of care. The post above stresses the importance of good communication but that is a vital skill whatever branch you follow.

However another option might be to complete your adult branch course and then go for a post registration mental health course. I believe that this is 18 months and there is a bursary, plus you could do bank shifts as an adult RN to supplement your income.

Another thing to bear in mind is that as a dual registered nurse your employment options would be wider.

cloggs · Dec 9, 2008

Hi. I am dualled trained and worked for approx 12 years in mental health before changing direction and returned to adult. I felt passionate about patient care and particularly enjoyed the older client group but was continually dismayed by staff attitudes towards patients. The focus appeared to be centred around staff needs as opposed to patients. I did have a very positive time working with a brill team in community however. It is now several years since I worked solely in mental health and feel sure things must have improved considerably. I did work bank shifts at different placements approx 3yrs ago where staff either complained they couldn't stand the job or simply failed to treat the patients with any hint of respect or dignity. I would not now consider returning to mental health as I love my current job.

Squatront · Jan 16, 2009

I would have thought it far more dangerous working A&E than on a mental health ward. I'm an RMN working on a psychiatric intensive care ward. Patients are, in general, no more violent than patients without mental health problems. You are certainly more likely to be attacked on an elderly ward than on a medium or even high secure mental health unit. There are dangers, but the vast majority or mental health patients do not want to hurt you, and indeed are more likely to hurt themselves. As with adult nursing the kind of people you treat varies wildly from violent, aggressive, unlikeable, frustrating, tragic, friendly, likeable, loveable and wonderful.

As for cloggs' experience: while there are undoubtedly RMNs who treat their patients with a lack of respect, there are also RGNs who act the same. This is not a branch specific problem, but a nursing specific problem, and if people were put off adult nursing because of reports of abuse or neglect on adult wards, then there would be no nurses. The vast majority of RMNs I've met treat their patients with the utmost respect.

Speaking generically, the life of an RMN can be hectic, it can be a grind, it can be boring, it can be exciting, it can be very rewarding, it can be very frustrating. Patients usually have their own rooms, but most of the day they will be up and about either taking part in organised activities, engaging with other patients or staff, or doing their own thing. As a nurse you will spend time one to one with patients, ward rounds, tribunals, updating and refining care plans and risk assessments, reassuring anxious patients, dispensing medication, perhaps taking patients off ward either around the unit or into the community. Lots of time will be spent simply talking with patients, trying to cultivate some level of therapeutic relationship.

Generally speaking you can work on acute wards, forensic units (low, medium and possibly high secure), prisons, rehabilitation units, substance misuse, elderly or within the community so your choice is fairly wide.