When I decided to become a nurse, I had worked in finance for years. I had always wanted to be a nurse and initially thought of becoming a defence force nurse — I was always fascinated with how people worked and enjoyed talking with people. After discussing what field of nursing I wanted to work in at an open day, I decided to enrol in a Bachelor of Nursing specialising in mental health. This allowed me to complete the majority of my nursing placement hours in a variety of mental health settings.
Since graduating, I have worked in a variety of mental health settings — from inpatient units to community teams and emergency mental health. Each setting has offered different rewards and challenges, but one constant has been the camaraderie that comes from colleagues. The knowledge that each shift brings a chance to be part of someone's mental health journey is often what helps through the periods of burnout and fatigue. On multiple occasions consumers have remembered me from previous engagements, and that rapport — knowing whether they prefer tea or coffee and how many sugars — may seem insignificant, but its impact cannot be underestimated.
Whilst there have been many highs there have also been a few lows. Being injured whilst working, and managing how I am changing as an individual and how this reflects in my practice, has been difficult. I see mental health nurses struggling through lockdowns, dealing with the pressure of increased demand, and the basic fact that as humans we go through personal challenges. A silver lining has been that we are now talking more and more about our own mental health and the need for self-care. I am lucky I am surrounded by friends who are also mental health nurses — the ability to call someone who understands the nuances of the profession through the highs and lows is something I have valued and treasured. I have also valued and benefited greatly from clinical supervision.
2022 saw another career change for me as I moved into academia, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate mental health nursing at a major university. I maintain my clinical practice because to teach the next generation of nurses I need to maintain my clinical exposure and experience. This new role also allows me to pursue my next major goal — completing a PhD looking at the impact of vicarious trauma in mental health nurses. I also hope to explore the area of neurodiversity in public mainstream mental health settings and LGBTIQA+ issues within mental health. I have been fortunate enough to attend working groups and speak in federal parliamentary hearings, and the need for more research and education in adolescent mental health for LGBTIQA+ youth is something I hope to see the industry expand on.