Hunter New England - Taree - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development Day
Aims and Objectives
This project aimed to increase the paediatric staff knowledge and skills in managing young people admitted to hospital with mental health problems.
Description of Project
The project involved a seminar where there were 19 participants. The seminar was well evaluated with a return rate of 84% for the evaluation form. The speakers were:
- Dr Nick Bendit who talked about why good quality care by able and diligent care stuffs up patients with BPD
- Terri Stone who covered managing limit setting and boundaries
- Martin Losurdo and Monique Newson talked on providing structure
- Lois Ross covered building management plans
- Gay Bowden spoke on Self Soothing and Mindfulness
This project addressed the issues faced due to increasing admissions at a local level. Nurses need to feel secure and safe and have the confidence and ability to look after complex psychosocial issues.
Expected Outcomes
It was expected that nurses knowledge base would be enhanced by the provision of training in the following:
- Therapeutic supervision
- Assessment and medications
- Facilitation of patient/carer education with the focus on prevention
- Risk assessment
Performance Indicators
The success of this project was to be measured by:
- The successful development of learning packages
- Successful seminars as proven by evaluation at completion of the sessions
Progress
Learning packages continue to be developed. Reviews are being conducted on practice for admission of self harming adolescents to paediatric units, in particular, a management plan and structure. Inservice to after hours managers was conducted in March 2007 to assist with admission of mental health children to hospital. Lois Ross CNS CAMS continues to conduct inservice to nursing staff.