Meet Kay McCauley-Elsom
Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and Fellow of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses.

To be credentialed means to me that I am acknowledged by my peers for my skills, knowledge, attitudes, standards and enthusiasm in promoting mental health to students, clinicians, educators and researchers and fellow College members. In my position as lecturer at Monash University I focus on mental health nursing, women’s mental health/midwifery and I promote mental health across all disciplines in nursing at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

My commitment to ongoing learning in mental health began with my own Graduate Diploma and Masters (Research) studies at the University of Melbourne and has continued through to my current roles as coordinator of the Monash Practice Development Team. Learning through reflective practice is a key process in practice development and is closely linked with clinical supervision and critical dialogue. To my mind this is closely linked with the credentialing process which promotes reflective practice by recognising clinicians who deliver quality care based on current research and who hold the promotion of mental health nursing as a core value in their work.

My primary area of interest is in women’s Mental Health. I am currently a PhD candidate at the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine at Monash University, looking at best practice in the management of psychosis in pregnancy. This study has involved establishing a National Register of Antipsychotic Medication in Pregnancy (NRAMP) at the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. I am thankful to clinicians around Australia, many of these ACMHN members, who have collaborated to ensure multi-centred site involvement in the project – facilitating the recruitment process and the enrolment of women into the study.

I have been involved at executive level with the Victorian branch of the College since 2001, as Secretary and Vice President. I have also participated in a number of projects – most recently in the development of the online training a package for credentialed MHN who are now able to provide Medicare rebated non-directive pregnancy counselling for women. My current role within the branch is focused on promoting Credentialing in Victoria – delivering information sessions and workshops around the State and assisting members to complete their applications.

I believe the Credential for Practice Program has provided mental health nurses with a new level of credibility. Government, other health professionals and consumers are all able to identify the specific set of skills and values that a mental health nurse should hold. As a result of the CPP, the Commonwealth Government has expanded our involvement in a number of key initiatives, providing MHN with career opportunities unlike any we have experienced before. I believe these career paths will continue to develop - the possibilities are unlimited – but we will need to be creative and adaptable, vigilant and responsive to the challenges that we will encounter…as individual mental health nurses, and collectively as a College.

All documents for the ACMHN Credential for Practice Program are copyrighted to the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form without permission except as provided under the Copyright Act, 1968 (Clth). or for credentialing applications only.