16/10/2024
What motivated you to pursue a career at South West Acute Hospital?
“Having previously worked in the Southern Trust as a mental health nurse in the acute psychiatric wards, I could see how well the mental health liaison service worked in Craigavon area hospital for both patients and staff. When I heard that the mental health liaison service was coming to the South West Acute Hospital I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of. Bringing this service to my local hospital was something that excited me.”
Could you share a significant challenge you’ve faced in your role and how you overcame it to provide quality healthcare services?
“As our service is a relatively new service; commencing three years ago, I find it challenging that we don’t have all the specialities which our patients would benefit from available. I would love to expand our team so that we could provide an even better service for our patients. I am currently involved in ongoing quality improvement projects to promote the expansion of the mental health liaison service. In the interim I try to ensure we maximise the use of the services and supports we already have.”
How do you believe your role contributes to the well-being and recovery of patients within our community?
“Mental health is such an important part of your well-being, it determines how we are able to operate psychologically, emotionally and socially. Life can throw all sorts at us and everyone will have experienced worries, fears, uncertainties and losses that can affect our mental health. I believe that having mental health practitioners in the SWAH enables people to access support for their mental health. As a practitioner in the mental health liaison team part of my role is to support patients who may be in hospital for something not mental health related but find that their mental health has been impacted by their diagnosis or treatment. Mental health liaison aims to highlight the link between our physical health and mental health, ensuring each patient can be supported holistically. My team also has an educational role throughout the hospital which is there to support and educate staff on various mental health conditions. This ensure that patient care is holistic, embracing physical, psychological and social needs.”
Can you highlight a particular patient interaction or medical achievement that you are particularly proud of, and why?
“Every patient interaction is important to me and I love my job. I am always aware that speaking to a mental health practitioner about your thoughts feelings and worries isn’t always easy. Making someone feel comfortable enough to open up to me about their thoughts and feelings is something I will always be proud of. I have always had a special interest in perinatal mental health, wanting to support women during pregnancy with their mental health and also in the post-natal period. I have successfully completely a post graduate course in perinatal mental health in Queens University.”
How do you ensure the delivery of compassionate and effective care in your specific healthcare discipline?
“I love what I do and have always had a passion and interest in mental health and helping others. Everyone will experience mental health issues in some form such as anxiety, sadness, stress, sleep deprivation, psychosis etc. I feel we all need to work together in normalising speaking about our mental health and seeking support for it when we need it. I encourage all practitioners to refer to the mental health liaison service if they have any concerns about a patient, making our service accessible to all who need it.”
“I have been commended on my supportive and mindful approach with patients, encouraging them to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings without feeling vulnerable or scared.”
What aspect of your work do you find most rewarding, and how does it resonate with your personal values and mission?
“As a practitioner of the mental health liaison team I feel that we are bridging the gap in healthcare between general physical health and mental health. In the SWAH I think we have formed very healthy working relationships with all health professionals. We also provide some continuous professional development sessions in various wards and the emergency department for the staff. I love this part of the job as I also learn so much from other health professionals, thus improving the patients care and experience. We always work so much better together and will continue to work together to improve patient care. Making changes for the better and always learning are some of the most rewarding aspects of the job for me.”
How do you manage the demands of your job, and what strategies do you employ to ensure exceptional healthcare service delivery?
“Every day has its challenges but the people you work with make a big difference. I would describe my own team as a small but mighty bunch which I am so grateful for! I feel that the SWAH is also a lovely place to work with lots of friendly, kind and compassionate staff. As a mental health practitioner I am constantly talking about the importance of self-care. My self-care consists of spending time with family and friends, exercise and a holiday or two….”
Have there been any mentors or colleagues who have significantly influenced your practice, and in what way?
“So many nurses and doctors that I work alongside inspire me every day. When I started out as a psychiatric nurse it was daunting and there is a massive transition from student nurse to staff nurse. I was significantly influenced by my manager. I would describe her as very hard working with a lovely compassionate and caring nature. She reminded me that you won’t be able to do everything you want to at once but to “keep going”. She taught me the importance of being an advocate for your patient at all times, highlighting that no matter what is going on, patient is always your main focus. She also had a great interest in always learning and developing yourself to be better, I feel that is something I try to do too.”
What are your aspirations for the future, and how do you envision the evolution of your role within South West Acute Hospital?
“I want to keep improving the mental health care we provide for patients.”
“In the future I hope the mental health liaison team will expand offering a 24/7 service with a range of mental health specialties. I would like to be able to roll out the RAID like model here in the SWAH (rapid assessment, interface and discharge service). Which was developed from the government strategy ‘no health without mental health’. The RAID model has been rolled out in other hospitals regionally and is working well. I am part of the QI focus group which is working on quality improvement to expand our team and make the mental health liaison service accessible 24/7. This type of model would enable greater access to mental health expertise for both patients and staff.”
How do you believe your efforts contribute to the overall excellence and advancement of healthcare services in our local community?
“As a mental health practitioner I will continue to prioritise and advocate for those who are experiencing mental health difficulties as best I can. I will continue to raise awareness of mental health issues and highlight the vital and dependant relationship between mental and physical health. As a mental health liaison service we will continue to promote a culture of “whole health” – encompassing the body and mind as one.”
“Together I will continue working alongside the staff in the SWAH to promote the importance of mental health care.”
“Your mental health is everything, taking care of your mind is vital, it is your greatest asset.”