21 February 2022

Today (Monday 21 February) is Mental Health Nurses day when we celebrate the unique contribution and great skills of nurses who work in this most demanding and rewarding of fields.

Maria O’Brien, Chief Nurse, said, “Monday 21 February is national mental health nursing day. It celebrates the incredible work that all or mental health nurses across the Trust do – whether that is in our adult services, children’s services or specialist teams – you do an amazing job!  

“Thank you all for the compassion and expertise that you demonstrate day in and day out to support those with mental health issues to support their recovery.

“Be proud to be a mental health nurse in CNWL"

Here two Nurses – Safaa Armela and Esmee Landon speak about their roles.

My name is Safaa and I am a registered mental health nurse. I completed a bachelor's degree in mental health nursing at the university of Salford in Manchester and have been qualified since 2019. I currently work as a band 6 psych liaison nurse for Harrow Psych Liaison Team covering Northwick Park Hospital. I have been working in my current role for the last 13months. Prior to my current role, I was working as a band 5 nurse for acute inpatient CAMHS services in Manchester. I worked in inpatient acute services for 16 months before progressing on to my current job. I became a mental health nurse in order to offer specialised care to individuals suffering from mental health issues. I chose to work in mental health as I wanted to have a positive impact on people's lives at times when they are most in need of support and care, and to help break down the stigma attached to mental health. 

 

Psych Liaison Nurse

My journey into mental health nursing started in 2012. I was recovering from severe post -natal depression and came out of it with a strong sense of wanting to help others. I felt that my personal perspective on recovery gave me a deeper understanding of the experience of mental illness and needs of service users. What surprised me about the role was its breadth and depth. Most mental health nurses are trained in psychotherapies and physical health, whilst there are so many different areas and levels you can work at. I completed my nursing training in 2018 and I now work as a perinatal mental health nurse, in a Mother & Baby unit. I feel proud of the service we provide and passionate about the work we do . I am honoured to be a part of our mum’s recovery journey and I am humbled by their bravery. It is equally rewarding to see the mums recover and move on from our service. I love my job!

Esmée Landon

Staff Nurse (RMN) at CNWL’s  Coombe Wood Mother & Baby Unit, Park Royal Centre for Mental Health, Brent.