International Nurses Day - A thankyou from our Director of Nursing
International Nurses Day (12 May) is an opportunity to thank NHS staff for their dedication to delivering outstanding patient care and celebrate the modern and dynamic nursing profession.
Gill Green Director of Nursing and Governance for GMMH marks the day by saying a massive thank you to our nurses for all they do caring for people with compassion, respect and integrity every single day of the year.
Mental health nursing is more than just a job it’s a vocation that provides people with hope and enables them to recover and take control of their lives.
I trained as a nurse and have had experience of delivering direct nursing care in a variety of acute and mental health settings, so I know how hard it can be, but also how rewarding it is.
I’m so proud of the fantastic work nurses at GMMH are delivering and it fills me with pride when I see what you are doing and hear what a difference you are making to our services users and their families.
Last year, we rolled out the Pause Reflect, Next Steps (PRN) campaign aimed at keeping service users safe by looking at alternatives to using medication. This was led by our nursing team and the brainchild of Community Psychiatric Nurse Jaclyn Pickup. Jaclyn wanted to help service users feeling stressed or anxious by encouraging nursing staff to think about all the options to helping someone cope in their time of need. This might include breathing techniques, exercise and limiting the use of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.
Nursing staff continue to demonstrate innovative approaches to improving the quality of life for those living with mental health problems. Mental Health Liaison Nurse Will Reekie started a running group for service users incorporating the NHS Couch to 5K app (an evidence-based approach for non-runners to begin running, three times a week with the aim of achieving a 5K run). The group is facilitated by experienced mental health practitioners to promote a positive environment and encourage informal discussion and support for participant’s mental health needs. The emphasis is on inclusivity and providing a safe environment for people to enjoy exercise with others to improve their health and wellbeing.
I’m delighted to learn that Advanced Nurse Practitioner Tara McGinley has, just this week, received confirmation that she has been successful in her application to become a ‘Queen’s Nurse’. The title of ‘Queen’s Nurse’ is available to individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice. We look forward to benefitting from the learning opportunities this position gives Tara and seeing her develop her professional skills by networking with community nurses who share common values.
Of course these are just a few examples of extraordinary staff going the extra mile to make a real difference to people’s lives. I’m looking forward to NHS70 and hearing more examples of remarkable NHS staff – the everyday heroes – demonstrating the vital role they play in our lives. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of one of the nation’s most loved institutions and showcase all of the amazing things you do.
Nurses are at the forefront of driving improvements for our service users and their families and this is evident in our Nursing Strategy, which sets out our vision to deliver high quality and compassionate care with recovery at the centre.
I know we are working in a challenging climate with financial pressures and staffing challenges, but there’s also a lot of exciting opportunities available. We are undertaking a number of major recruitment and retention campaigns to promote the enormous contribution of nurses at GMMH and showcase the fantastic career opportunities available in this dynamic and rewarding profession.
Gill Green, Director of Nursing and Governance
