Take part in study: How mental health nurses provide care in older adult mental health public inpatient settings
A research team from Australian Catholic University is investigating how nurses organise and provide care within organisational conditions of older mental health inpatient settings. Patients often present with a combination of mental illness, dementia, confusion and behavioural disturbance. These wards are complex and fast-paced environments, requiring continuous decisions about what care is required, what should […]
Study participants wanted: Help shape the future of perinatal mental health care
Perinatal mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, affect many new and expecting mothers, however, most women do not receive treatment for these problems due to difficulty accessing face-to-face care. Evidence-based e-treatments, have the potential to bridge this gap, yet they are not routinely offered in most healthcare settings. A research team from the […]
Mental health recovery camp: A student consumer partnership
The first of its kind in Australia and the world, mental health recovery camps for undergraduate nurses have received awards since their inception in 2012. Natalie Dragon talks with co-founder Professor Lorna Moxham on the growing success and why the program should be funded nationally. “It’s a clinical placement, but it’s also a psychosocial intervention […]
New fully-funded Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health aims to address clinician shortage
Perinatal mental health organisation Gidget Foundation has partnered with Federation University to launch a fully-funded Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health in a bid to address a nationwide shortage of specialist clinicians working in the field. According to Gidget Foundation, demand for its perinatal mental health services continues to surge, leading to it seeing 30% […]
Developing and evaluating a clinical supervision training program for mental health nurses
The continued support for nurses through education and training is fundamental to the success and growth of the profession. This is particularly relevant within mental health nursing, where staff often face complex and emotionally challenging circumstances. The past decades have seen a growth in interest and understanding of workplace support within mental health settings through […]
Earn and learn: How Victoria’s RUSON employment model is helping attract more nurses into mental health
When she was an undergraduate nursing student, Monisha Lagreca worked on a mental health ward as part of the ANMF (Vic Branch) pioneered Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing (RUSON) paid employment model. Under the delegation and supervision of mental health nursing staff at Peninsula Health, she gained invaluable firsthand exposure to the specialty, which quickly […]
Experts weigh in on how to forge a positive future for mental health nurses
Experts weigh in on how to forge a positive future for mental health nurses
Workforce investment key to ‘unleashing’ mental health nurses’ potential
Skilled and knowledgeable health professionals, mental health nurses possess a range of invaluable attributes including the ability to show great empathy, provide tailored patient-centred care, and respond and adapt to often complex situations. But Australia doesn’t have enough of them working in the system to their full scope of practice, and lacks new and innovative […]
‘Unleash The Potential’: Thousands more mental health nurses needed to meet rising demand
There is almost 25,000 mental health nurses working across the country, according to the Department of Health and Aged Care’s latest health workforce data. Despite growth in numbers, Adrian Armitage, CEO of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN), says it’s not nearly enough to combat the “silent pandemic” of rising mental health issues […]
‘Never walk alone’: Mentoring Men program helps men get back on track
On average, nine people in Australia take their own lives every day. Glaringly, seven of those are men. With nearly half of men experiencing mental health challenges during their lifetime, Australian charity Mentoring Men was established to provide a listening ear from time to time for men experiencing challenges. Focusing on a proactive approach, engaging […]