March 2006

Thought it had all gone too quiet. The very original reason for me setting up the mental nurse site (many years ago) has been scrapped. There will be no new major mental health bill.

The long road to a mental health law

After eight years, millions of pounds, an expert committee, a Green paper, widespread consultation, a White paper, two draft Bills and formal parliamentary scrutiny process, the long-awaited Mental Health Bill has been abandoned.

…

Plan B is what they are calling a “streamlined” Bill which will amend the existing 1983 Mental Health Act.

The new plan:

Read the rest of this entry »

There I was browsing Boing Boing for my daily dose of oddness. Here is what I found.

Portraits of cans of ashes of 5,000 mental patients’ remains

Last year you ran a story about the cremated remains of 5000 people found in the closet of an Oregon psychiatric hospital …

So I clicked the link.

Cremated remains of 5,000 mental patients discovered in old Oregon sanatorium

Cicolini sez, “Someone was cleaning out an old insane asylum and found the cremated remains of over 5000 people tucked away in a closet. Here are some former patients of the hospital who are trying to tidy up this huge PR mess.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Another help wanted

I wandered onto your site after trying to find out more info on what exactly a mental health nurse does or is meant to do (suspiciously undefined)….

Basically, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to describe what employers will be looking for in a mental health nurse candidate?? I have studied psychology for 6 years but realise this is unimportant when actually working in the field of mental health……frustrating as that is. i have an interview for a mental health assistant post- over qualified and under experienced no doubt.

I really want the job. I have a strange feeling I will like it- despite knowing how “challenging” it will be. You seem to have loved it- please do you have any advice.

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I thought the answers to this question may be useful for other people. You don’t say if you are UK based or otherwise.

Will respond later

Random Link

No play station, say Metro bosses

Also here.

PSP Adverts

I was sitting on a plane recently listening to the pre-flight safety lecture. I was watching the flight attendant doing her silent ballet. Then I listened to the words.

Captain: … in event of a water landing reach under your …

Ho hum I thought.

Then it clicked. Water landing … there is no such thing … a water landing must be pilot speak for a damp crash ! I spent the entire flight preparing for a sudden water landing.

This had me thinking about communication.

Recent conversation.

Old Man: Hello Mental.

Mental: Hello Old Man. How are you doing.

Old Man: So so. I have a high cholesterol level.

Mental: That sounds good, can’t have enough cholesterol I say !

Old Man: Shut up you prat ! The Doctor has put me on tablets for it.

Not doing too well so far.

Read the rest of this entry »

Found this via Reynolds.

Caring Goes Out The Window

from Nee Naw

“Are you with her now?” I asked.

“No,” said the woman. “She’s out on the roof. She fell out the window.” She said this in the manner that one would say “My washing machine is broken” or “It was raining yesterday.”

I kept reading the blog post trying to find a way to make it more light hearted (?) or to diminish somehow the sheer horror I felt; but I could not. Read it.

Go on, read it … now.

Well there I was reading a family members post mortem report; I now know how much their internal organs weighed. Shortly after that I received a text message from another family member telling me not to set myself on fire. This I thought was the average level of weirdness for the day.

Then I saw a short … advert ? … about self harm on the TV.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello.

Almost everything in my work life is terribly boring. Busy enough just not very exciting. In my real life things are rather more interesting and involve time and effort. The situation is not likely to change soon so posts will be few and far between.

Well I am still learning how to deal with life in a more ‘general nursey’ type setting.

Quite interesting really. Other staff come up and ask me about some physical health problem I either:

or:

I generally manage to get by when the nursing auxiliaries ask me a question, by and large they just want to know what to do next. My problem is I also have a new student to torment. The problem is he is an adult nursing student, he expects better answers and explanations of why.

Read the rest of this entry »