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Interview with a Registered Mental Nurse RMN |
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 Ben Farrah is a Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) working on a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit or PICU ward.Ben works in an NHS Foundation Trust hospital in Brighton. Here he is interviewed to explain what his nursing job is about, how he became a mental health nurse, and what it is about a job as a Registered Mental Nurse that he enjoys.
Q: What was your first nursing job?"I started working part-time at a Social Services residential home at age 16 and continued in a part-time capacity throughout my twenties as i went through university."Q: Was it useful to work as a healthcare assistant before you qualified as a nurse?"Very much so. It gave me a great insight into what was required (in terms of being qualified) regarding patient management/expectations and the 'goings-on' of a psychiatric ward."Q: What made you want to take things further and get a nursing qualification?"Simply, I wanted a greater degree of responsibility for patient management."Q: Did you know before your nursing diploma that you wanted to specialise in mental health care? And what attracted you about it (a fascination with the human mind etc?)"Yes, I did know that I wanted to study psychiatry / mental health. I'm interested in 'general' nursing techniques but I've always preferred to nurse those with poor mental health. It's rather like Marmite."Q: Mental health nursing is often seen as one of the more challenging specialisms in nursing. Do you think being an RMN is an especially tough nursing job?"No. People that go into mental health nursing adapt very quickly to its demands. One realises very early on if you are suited to it, as with any discipline in nursing."Q: There’s a shortage of RMNs at the moment. What would you say about your job to attract others to become RMNs?"I can’t speak for all wards/hospitals, but where I work provides me with a challenging environment managed by a highly professional, progressive and nurturing team. All new staff are welcomed and supported. In fact, I’ve recently decided to continue to work on the ward due to the team ethos (good will and support)."Q: What kind of RMN are you? What’s your ‘specialism within this specialism’?"I work in a PICU (psychiatric intensive care unit), which is a secure, locked ward with ten patients and five staff. My specialities would be patience, clear and firm boundary setting and an innate ability to assess patient dynamics, risks and behaviours, positive and negative."Q: How did you get this job? What experience were the NHS looking for?"I was working as a student at the hospital, made it clear to management that I wished to work on the PICU ward and was duly interviewed. For this post the interviewers looked for (mostly) those skills that i have outlined above."Q: Working as an RMN every day in PICU… do you have ‘quiet’ days or is it always full of incident?"When a ward is well managed, utilising all the skill sets of available staff and appropriate medication regimes the ward is indeed very settled. There is a 'de-escalation' area and a 'seclusion' room for those patients whose levels of agitation place themselves or others at risk."Q: Is there such a thing as a typical day?"In short, no. The day may have many variables; occupational therapy groups, ward rounds, activities etc. The instances of violence/aggression are found to be lower when patients are appropriately occupied."Q: Who reports to you? Tell me about your responsibilities."Newly qualified staff. If i am 'shift coordinator' then all staff, irrespective of age, experience or seniority must defer to me. This responsibility is undertaken by all staff nurses."Q: What other members of the mental health care team do you work with?"Consultant Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists, Art Therapists, nursing assistants, psychologists, Community Psychiatric Nurses, housing officers, mental health law advisors."Q: What do you imagine the difference is between your work at the NHS and the private sector? Would your job exist in the private sector anyway?"I have never worked in the private sector and therefore cannot adequately comment. Mental health services are one of the biggest sources of public health expenditure. The question is who would fund this provision as it is unlikely health care insurance could cover such extreme costs. It is also unlikely that the service user would be able to procure such insurance for him/herself."Q: What are your views on the use of medication for the care of patients suffering from mental distress?"Medication requires a great deal of development. Other techniques in mental health nursing have found to be as beneficial as those prescribed by psychiatrists. Many patients require medication to tranquilize/sedate. I do not feel that 'poly-pharmacy' is at all times beneficial. There are many unfortunate side-effects to anti-psychotics that require a greater level of investigation and understanding."Q: What are the benefits of working as a nurse for the NHS?"Guaranteed employment/job security, good pension plan (at present), sick/maternity pay, high levels of support, scope for personal development/training."Q: What improvements do you think the NHS will make to mental health care over the coming years?"Hopefully, development of cognitive therapies, lower levels of medication. Mental Health Act 1983 requires revision."Q: Are you required to stay in touch with developments in mental health care theory?"Yes, this is a mandatory requirement assisted by training, either in-house or otherwise."Thanks very much to Ben for his time telling us about his job as an RMN. He occasionally writes a blog if you'd like to read more about life as a mental health nurse. |
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