Linda Hannah

My role was based at St Richards Hospital, I would see patients referred to us by A&E and wards in St Richards who were experiencing depression, anxiety, acute confusion with associated behavioural changes, Dementia. Patients were aged 65 and over.

We would create a plan with the medical and nursing staff.

I would refer patients to Intensive Support at home, or to the Dementia and Older Persons Mental Health Team, and also have contact with them if they had involvement with out patients too.

I liaised with other hospital departments like the discharge coordinators.

I have been a part of Family meetings and on those regarding best practise and patient planning meetings if we were involved.

My colleagues and I had a handover if our patients every day, and with our consultant 3 times a week

I visited patients in their own home or in Care Homes, or Nursing Homes.

Everyday we would see patients who required insulin administration, and they were not able to do so themselves. I tested and recorded their blood sugar.

I would see patients who required dressings, catheter management including changing.

I would do pressure are care assessments.

Sometimes I would do an initial visit at the request of a GP to see what the patient required.

I worked both senior staff, Community HCAs, students.

Sometimes I would do palliative care and syringe driver setting up or renewing.

I was a staff nurse in the renal unit.

I worked mainly in the day unit where patients came in for day surgery or treatment relating to renal disease.

Often we also would be used as a hospital overspill ward.

I administered medications, prepared patients for theatre, or procedures.

I had 6 months working with the peritoneal dialysis team where I supported patients who were new to the treatment, or had been using this form of renal replacement therapy for some time.

At times I did home visits.

I had my own caseload

I would see my patients on a planned and regular basis

Every week I assessed patients who were a new referral

Once a week I had a duty day when I was on call for urgent calls and referrals.

I would liaise with the team doctors, colleagues, GPs, Social Workers, write letters, reports as needed.

I gave depot injections to those on my caseload who were prescribed them.

I referred patients for acute care from the Crisis Team, or for admission if patients were in crisis.

This was a fixed term contract for a year working in A&E, Worthing General Hospital.

I saw patients who had been admitted to or presented to A&E in a Mental Health crisis, had self harmed, taken an overdose.

I would assess them for their risk and need.

Refer for input from acute mental health services for either crisis team at home, or for admission

Or discharge them home for Community Mental Health team follow up.

I would write up an assessment for the GP, write a risk assessment and care plan

Sometimes I would contact the on-call social worker to request a Mental Health Act assessment if needed.

I worked with my liaison colleagues as well including consultant.

I continued to do bank Liaison work after the post finished at both Worthing and at Royal West Sussex Hospital Brighton as I enjoyed the work

I was a ward based staff nurse at the Centurion Unit, Chichester.

I worked as part of a ward team for patients with acute episodes of Mental Illness like manic depression, schizophrenia. For some patients it was their first admission, for others they had severe and enduring conditions that meant they had previous admissions.

I would administer medication, build a rapport and get to know the patients and see how to offer help and support during their admission.

Sometimes patients would become acutely unwell and distressed requiring a planned and coordinated response.

Sometimes patients needed 1-1 care because of the risk they posed to themselves.

I attended clinical reviews for patients with their consultant

I worked as a registered nurse in Abbotts Lawn Nursing Home.

I supported the care team to look after the residents who had dementia or long term mental health conditions. I administered medication, would aid with caring for patients, monitor their physical conditions and refer to the GP if required.

I ran my own caseload who I would plan my input for and respond if they showed signs of being acutely unwell. I would see patients in their own home or at the centre.

I assessed new referrals

I worked within the Community Team

I supported medical and nursing colleagues as needed

I went into GP surgeries and ran mental health clinics within 4 surgeries for the GPs

I would write letters to GPs, patients, attend meetings

I worked in a unit for patients with an acquired brain injury, or patients who had a severe and enduring mental illness with physical health problems.

I worked with patients who had been referred to the unit with cognitive effects of a brain injury. The patients had a daily routine and we helped to prepare them to be able to return home and improved independence, perhaps with some support.

We also supported the patients with mental health with their physical health needs. One of the patients was admitted to the main general hospital in Portsmouth, and we supported the general nursing staff to look after the patient - her physical health versus her mental health presentation.

I took the course ENB 923 where I worked in all areas of adult nursing, and provided an essay.

After the course I worked on the male surgical ward as a staff nurse, providing care to patients pre and post surgery, sometimes planned, sometimes urgent care.

I worked in intensive care as well to further my experience and skills. I looked very unwell patients both medically or surgically and required respiratory support during acute phases of their illness.

I ran my own caseload of patients who had aspects of mental illness.

I would see them at home or at the centre

I supported my colleagues both nursing and medical

I also worked in the the day hospital where we ran groups and supported patients through being acutely unwell and helped in rehabilitation for those struggling with depression, psychosis, trauma

I worked on wards for patients with severe and enduring Mental Illness, and required on-going care, support in a safe environment.

Patients were being slowly prepared for living in more community settings, as the move was put into action of closing wards in the hospital, and less reliance on hospital long term care.

I worked as a staff nurse so would run the ward, dispense medications, work with all my colleagues - nursing and medical. Write care plans, and build a rapport with the patients. We also provided palliative care for a couple of patients who became physically unwell with terminal cancer.

I was a student nurse undertaking RGN training and worked in theatres when I qualified.

I theatres I worked in operating theatres, either in getting patients into theatre, or helping in the theatres itself getting further equipment, counting swabs, and also scrubbed in.

I worked in elderly care and on the acute admissions wards to get experience as a staff post registration as an RMN

I was a student nurse doing my RMN training in Graylingwell Hospital,