|
|
By Mental Nurse, on October 28th, 2009
I think I might be a bit late to the party here and everyone else might know about this already.
Apparently they are either trying to or in the process of implementing payment by results in the UK (or just England?) mental health system. It looks like this would be used at a higher service funding level than individual nurses being paid for every depressed person they cheered up.
There is a reasonably comprehensive article here:
Payment by results in mental health: the current state of play in England
‘Payment by results’ is a method of paying for the services of hospitals and other providers. Plans are well underway to use it within the National Health Service (NHS) in England, and some health authorities began to introduce it in 2005.
Continue reading Payment by Results in Mental Health
By Mental Nurse, on August 30th, 2009
Not sure if this is just going to be a one of post or part of series. I was rereading some of the Ask The Mentalists posts recently and thought about doing the same. Some of OSBs recent comments have inspired me to start getting some of the nasty thoughts out my head. As a RMN I often have to deal with difficult and unpleasant people who I would cheerfully would beat to death with their own skulls.
This is not a post about people with personality disorders!
Continue reading Slapheads: Malingerers
By Perplexed, on July 7th, 2009
(Guest post by Perplexed)
Hi, I love this website.
I am a brand new but already some what tarnished student nurse. I am transferring to Mental Health nursing for my second year soon.
I am a little despondent at the moment however. I am on a placement in an acute psychiatric ward, basically a [...]
By a mental, on June 22nd, 2009
(Guest post by A Mental)
I must apologise for this first introduction as not only are there my normal levels of confusion to deal with, but I have also taken my sleepers, which add all sorts of exciting confusion such as voices and people running around fast etc etc. So this may actually make no sense at all. And it may well be long. I waffle. Writing in a succinct manner is not a skill I have ever mastered – my A level English Lit teacher told me so.
Anyway, as you may (or may not) have guessed from my name, I am not an RMN (does the term ‘Mental Nurse’ make anyone else chortle by the way? Mental Health Nurse or Psychiatric Nurse I could understand, but Mental Nurse?? I can just imagine 2 nurses talking ‘So what sort of nurse are you?’ (asks RMN) ‘Oh, I am a Children’s Nurse, I work with children. What about you? Our imaginary RMN replies ‘I am a Mental Nurse. I work with mentals. Does anyone see my point regarding the slightly odd terminology there used in the titles? Or is it just the Zolpidem that makes me find it amusing? Anyway, enough chortling, back to the point, the point’………………………………. Ah yes, the point is I am not an RMN, or any other nursy type, or anyone professionally involved in mental health. I am a patient (refuse to be client - seems linked to prostitution) under MH services, and have been since I was 17, and am now 23 (or will be in a week). I swear this had a point, I haven’t a bloody clue what it was anymore though. So anyway, I just registered my name as ‘a mental’ since we have already established RMNs treat mentals, and there is only one of me, hence the lack of s in my name. Wonderful, you have had to endure a blog about my name. It really was about something else, I promise.
Continue reading Question for MN
By turboelf, on September 20th, 2008
(Guest post by turboelf)
Hi Guys!
I’m a senior nurse, working in a specialist challenging behaviour unit for the elderly – the only one in our county.
We’ve recently embarked upon the Excellence in Practice Accreditation Scheme (EPAS), with the help of Prof. Rob McSherry.
I’d love to hear from anyone else who has [...]
By Tinkerbell, on August 3rd, 2008
(Guest post by Tinkerbell)
I read a posting on the site about a person not sure about doing mental health nursing course due to their self-harming scars. To put your mind at rest (hopefully!) you wear your own clothes at work so can wear long-sleeved tops. In first year in England we have insights in to adult nursing which does mean you wear the nursing uniform but it is not for long (8 weeks) and just remember what the final goal is that you have been inspired to do this type of work. Also, the insight in to this issue will give you understanding and compassion of people who struggle with themselves with mental illness.
I also have some scars on my arms and I won’t say that it has not caused me at times distress and regret. However, I never ever thought in a million years I could train to be a mental health nurse as had a very chaotic life that involved an eating disorder and addiction. What helped me was that I wanted a normal life and had to try to not prevent my arms from living life to the full.
Continue reading Considering Mental Nursing & History of Self-harm
By hopeful23, on July 26th, 2008
(Guest post by nasogastric)
I feel sick, and shaky and angry.
What has happened is this. One of my Section 3 patients is on leave and while at work yesterday I received an upset telephone call from this patient and a family member saying their solictor had called them and told them the section 3 had been renewed.
I checked the notes, nothing to indicate this. I noted that the Section 3 runs out or needs renewal in a months time. The patient had seen his consultant on the Thursday and no mention of this. Their solicitor rang them Friday, then they contacted me for an explanation.
Continue reading Renewing section while patient on leave
By Mo, on July 2nd, 2008
I recently did a post on my site about a bipolar guy who, while drunk and detained in a psychiatric hospital in the USA, threatened to kill the president. The staff reported this to the secret service and the guy was subsequently sentenced to almost five years in jail.
Timothy Pinkston was detained in a psychiatric hospital at the time and therefore I would presume “clinically insane” or whatever the term is. I can’t understand how they could send him to jail for something he said while he was officially mad and safely locked up in a psychiatric hospital.
I wondered if you guys could enlighten me how things would pan out if there were a similar incident in a UK psychiatric hospital. The case raises lots of issues but there are four main areas that concern me.
Continue reading I Hate You So Much Right Now
By vicarious, on June 14th, 2008
(Guest post by Vicarious)
My assignment is of a critical incident during my acure placement and i thought about increased obs; the problem is its due in 2 weeks on starting placement!! so in terms of leaving it to the last minute perplexes me some what, would there be any ideas of the roles [...]
By poppylover, on May 7th, 2008
(Guest post by Poppylover)
Hi, Ive finished NVQ level 2 Health and Social Care..and have almost finished NVQ level 3 Health and Social Care.. I’m just wondering what else i need to be able to apply for Adult Nursing? I’m really confused, don’t no if i need to do an Access course or Key [...]
By plebby, on April 10th, 2008
Hello. I am a first time contributer to Mental Nurse so forgive me if the following is drivel, boring or uninteresting. I would appreciate any feedback.
Continue reading Patient’s possessions
By beakie, on April 7th, 2008
On behalf of friends of mine, I’d like to invite regular readers and the like to come to the aid of a somewhat ailing nurses’ message board. Linkie below: -
Nurses Home
It’s been through some turbulent times recently, and is still in somewhat of a state of flux, but the new owner is [...]
By beckyderham, on March 14th, 2008
(Guest post by Becky Derham)
I thought the Mental Nurse readership might be interested to know that WISH’s campaign against the smoking restrictions in mental health inpatient units, Stubbing Out Our Rights, has been launched this week.
The arguments for and against the restrictions have already been debated here in a lot of depth so I won’t go into them again, but if you’d like to wander over to the campaign’s website you will see WISH’s take on the issue.
Continue reading The Stubbing Out Our Rights campaign
By EBPhobe, on December 29th, 2007
So.
I’ve just finished my second long day in a row (12 hours).
Only qualified on duty for both shifts.
Newly qualified.
No KSF supervision.
No supervision.
No band 6 or 7 on the ward for 3 weeks.
What do I do?
Continue reading A stranger in the midst of absurdity and chaos…
By E, on November 30th, 2007
Seaneen writer of http://thesecretlifeofamanicdepressive.wordpress.com/ wants to become a mental health nurse or “Lunatic attendant” as we used to be called. If she does she may find the following useful. It’s a glossary of terms. As we are all well aware in these politically correct times it is increasingly important to use the correct terminology and equally important to avoid the wrong terms. So to help Seaneen and all the other proto mental nurses I give you an indispensable guide to the terms and terminology currently in use in the field of mental health care. I am still looking for suitable definitions for “inappropriate” and “unprofessional” so if any one can help me out on these or any others, then comments please.
Continue reading A Glossary of terms
|
Recent Comments