When I started my undergraduate nursing degree, I'll be honest — I had no ambitions of becoming a mental health nurse. I remember that when it was time for my first mental health placement, my group's learning facilitator said, "Look, you won't like this. Nobody goes into nursing to get into mental health. But you've got to do it." So, clearly, this didn't inspire me. However, throughout my placement in the inpatient unit at what was then the Mater Children's Hospital Mental Health Unit, I saw the amazing work of the mental health nurses there and knew I wanted to be like them. What also drew me in was the ability to look holistically at consumers and their families — and really, it was the ability to be more human with others compared to the type of nursing I was exposed to in medical-surgical environments.
After graduating, I was upset that I missed out on a graduate program placement in mental health, but I was offered a placement at a tertiary hospital in a medical-surgical graduate program. I continued working in the cardiac ward for another year, and during this time started studying a Graduate Certificate of Clinical Education and Teaching after discovering a passion for supporting and educating undergraduate students. I was then successful in applying to a transition to mental health program at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, now Queensland Children's Hospital. During this program I worked for six months in both the adolescent ward and the child ward, where I remained employed after completing the program. Knowing I wanted to learn more about mental health nursing, I began my Master of Mental Health Nursing.
After working in the child mental health ward, I was successful in applying for a job with the Northern NSW Local Health District's Got It! team — a specialist early intervention service for children and their families in primary school settings. I spent three years working in this team and enjoyed my time immensely, despite the challenges that COVID-19 provided. During this period I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend short periods in a Clinical Nurse Educator role, which reminded me of my enthusiasm for nursing education. It was also while working in the Got It! team that I finally graduated from both my Graduate Certificate of Clinical Education and Teaching, and my Master of Mental Health Nursing.
Most recently I have started working in a conjoint role with Southern Cross University and Northern NSW Local Health District at Lismore as a mental health nurse lecturer and nurse educator. This role is the culmination of my work and study and I am keen to keep supporting other mental health nurses to complete further education and improve their knowledge and skills — which I know will ultimately improve the experience of mental health consumers across Australia.
Reflecting on my career so far, the biggest obstacle I have faced is probably my age and ambition to continue studying and work in different areas. At times other mental health nurses or healthcare workers have told me I do not hold certain skills or appreciate this profession because I am younger than them. However, I know I do have a level of knowledge — not just because of my study, but also from my work experience, reflection, and drive to continue improving my practice and knowledge base. I am also aware that I would not be where I am now in my career without the support and inspiration from all of the highly skilled mental health nurses I have been lucky enough to work with.