Merry Christmas everyone!
Hopefully no one is reading this on the day itself. Just thought I would write a quick message to try and sum up the last year and some news on upcoming changes.
Well it has been a fabulous year. Our first post of 2007 was This year, I resolve to lose weight by the much missed Malcolmroff. Hoping you are having a brilliant Christmas and still enjoying the site 
Our new ovlerlord made his first official post in February; And thus he spake, Or, A meditation on first nursing jobs. Sadly we lost a contributer spiritof1976, who made his last post Great stupid ideas in Mental Health: The No-Harm Contract, a topic which stimulated a lot of discussion. Oldschoolbaby taught me a little history that I was unaware of in Suicide Prevention 2. In May Z started his now classic Anthropologists on the Psych Ward series with The Gift Economy. In June I probably made a mistake by inviting the Irreverent Buddhist to do a post on Abuse: Society, The System and Sanity. (On an upbeat note azulinebloo became a regular contributer in June with Management) I think it is still the single most discussed post. Actually no, that would probably be Not Taught At University, following this I felt I was losing perspective and it was probably going to be time for a long long break from the site. I announced my retirement Off On Section 17 Leave: Again. Leaving the site in the capable hands of many others. The list of names is looking a little out of date. With July Beakie became our in house intellectual given us the benefit of his ivory tower perspective starting with Wot I Done Today. In August we had our first Caption Competition. Lou won a fabulous mug. September saw the start of the Nurse Patient Ratios Campaign. October saw the start of the This Week In Mentalists series. November saw the a whole new post to decorate the toilet wall in OSB’s ward; You know you’re an RMN when…. Also in November Mr Ian became a regular contributer starting with Classic one liners…. December saw the return of OSB after a long absence with Foxhunting For Vegetarians. Also looking forward to reading more by E.
The future plans. A new version of the site software is due out near the end of Jan. As part of the upgrade I will have to update the theme. Suggestions are welcome otherwise I will just pick something similar to the current one. Mental Nurse has significantly grown in popularity since Z took over. We now on average get 500 to 600 page hits a day, plus almost the same again via the rss feed. The hosting company is not complaining yet. I am looking for suggestions from everyone that enjoys Mental Nurse for how to improve the site and make it more betterer.
I would like to thank Z and all the others for the fabulous work they have done and am looking forward to another brilliant year.
*breaks into chorus of they’re all jolly good fellows and fellowesses*
Worked today ( as usual ) returning home to find Eastenders on the TV, so little alternative other than to log on. ( I subscribe to Vinnie Jones` theory that those who watch soap and reality TV should lose the right to vote.)
Anyway, Merry Christmas Mental and many, many thanks for continuing to host the site.
Thanks all for providing me with an entertaining reminder of the system I left behind.
elliecat
x
I’m an overlord? Yay! My Mum would be so proud of me.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Wow, am I out of date…
I noticed OSB had disappeared but I didn’t realise he was back again, yay!
Where did you go OSB? Where has Malcolmroff gone? Where did Spiritof1976 go? Where have you been Mental? Where is everyone??
Did Vinnie Jones say that? He’s brighter than I gave him credit for.
Hope you all had a lovely day with your friends and family. And for those who were working – it’s only 365 days til the next one!
I’ve decided that working on Christmas Day is great- it’s a challenge to make Christmas fun and happy for the patients, while still (mostly) abiding by hospital policies
As an ivory towers academic, I get the whole of Christmas and New Year off every year as the uni closes down completely. Oh how I hanker for the days of clambering out of bed on Boxing Day to do an early shift…yeah OK, but seriously gang, 2007 has been a blast. Let’s hope 2008 sees MN go from strength to strength.
Sorry Beakie! Have put you in, think I suffered a mince pie induced seizure ;( when writing the above. Any other highlights from the year missed out just leave a comment
Happy Chrimbo. Lovely crowd. Nice biscuits here.
For 2008 I’m intend to challenge the very core of psychiatry, unveil the hidden realities of the answers to many of life’s dilemmas and present a rather cheap, yet tasty, recipe for cheese scones.
Roll on 2008, this site does go from strength to strength and is goos to see OSB back!
In 2008 can we plumb the mysteries of how sanity can be preserved through understanding of Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn? Erm, or is it that this causes loss of sanity? I always get those two mixed up