First job in mental health - suddenly I'm a bit scared!

[Emma Herself]

And basically, I just want to state my admiration - there's a desperate shortage of people working in mental health, and the lack of satisfying occupation is a dreadful problem for service users, whether in NHS care or at home. What you do could be such a huge help to people in recovering, so try never to forget that!

Thanks Cloo!

 

[toggle]

I agree and of course it's a very fraught environment where there's a very sizeable temptation to do it to them before they do it to you. There is, also, some grotesque bullying and misuse of authority. There's also a fair bit of conduct which is in between the two - misuse of authority and bullying, but by people who do it because they're just a bit scared.

There are also situations where the staff fail to protect patients from abuse by other patients. As seen by my partner who used to be a cctv operator for a mental health ward.


However, there are also staff who are perfectly prepared to lay the deserved blame at the door of their less professional coleagues when this occours with the CCTV footage as evidence for their complaint. While there are bastards who work in thsi feild, just like any other, there are also good people who are caring and professional. Insinuating that all of the staff will be either abusive or incompetent is not helpfull.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Insinuating that all of the staff will be either abusive or incompetent is not helpful.

No, if anybody were to do that it wouldn't be. I don't think they are. However, they are all complicit to some degree. Which they can't help, much: as I observed above, what, professionally, can you do? CCTV footage of staff assults is pretty rare.

 

[toggle]

No, if anybody were to do that it wouldn't be. I don't think they are. However, they are all complicit to some degree. Which they can't help, much: as I observed above, what, professionally, can you do? CCTV footage of staff assults is pretty rare.

That depends on the camera coverage on the ward and whether the CCTV operator thinks they are there only to protect staff or to protect the patients as well.


And no, staff are not all complicit in abuse, as the part of my post you didn't bother to quote shows.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

And no staff are not all complicit in abuse.

My point (which I may not have put well) is that people will, quite certainly, observe other staff doing things that they should not. And they will stay silent about it, not because they like it but because any complaints will be dismissed and it will just put them in trouble. Completely understandable - I'm sure I'd do the same myself - and yet complicit nonetheless, because to stay silent when witnessing injustice is complicity.

 

[Emma Herself]

So yr saying that by working in a mental health ward, I will be complicit in abuse pretty much automatically?

 

[toggle]

My point (which I may not have put well) is that people will, quite certainly, observe other staff doing things that they should not. And they will stay silent about it, not because they like it but because any complaints will be dismissed and it will just put them in trouble. Completely understandable - I'm sure I'd do the same myself - and yet complicit nonetheless, because to stay silent when witnessing injustice is complicity.

You're getting good at that selective quoting thing. perhaps you do not want to have to face that some staff do not abuse patients and are prepared to report abuse when it occours.

 

[RubberBuccaneer]

Have you been a patient or staff on a ward Donna?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

You're getting good at that selective quoting thing.

Pretty much all quoting is selective quoting, is it not? We're responding to points, not writing essays.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Have you been a patient or staff on a ward Donna?

Yes. I was released from a secure unit in Luton six years ago tomorrow.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

So yr saying that by working in a mental health ward, I will be complicit in abuse pretty much automatically?

In the sense I referred to. But as I have - I think - made clear, I don't see what you can do about it, in most instances.

 

[toggle]

Pretty much all quoting is selective quoting, is it not? We're responding to points, not writing essays.

And it is becomong very clear what points you are not prepared to respond to, like the fact that not all members of staff abuse patients or tolerate abuse of their patients.

I wonder what part of this post you will quote?

 

[RubberBuccaneer]

Yes. I was released from a secure unit in Luton six years ago tomorrow.

I'm glad you've done well. ( seriously )

But are your points based on your experiences alone and of that one place....you can appreciate you may have had a particularly shitty ward/staff and it doesn't apply to all.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

And it is becomong very clear what points you are not prepared to respond to, like the fact that not all members of staff abuse patients or tolerate abuse of their patients.

Well, I have in fact commented quite substantially on both these areas. It is possible that you did not like my replies.

 

[toggle]

Well, I have in fact commented quite substantially on both these areas. It is possible that you did not like my replies.

it is also possible that you are refusing to deal with information that does not suit your precoceptions and prejudices

 

[Donna Ferentes]

But are your points based on your experiences alone and of that one place....you can appreciate you may have had a particularly shitty ward/staff and it doesn't apply to all.

Of course. This may very well be so and I hope that it is. But nevertheless, it was an experience which I think gave me some insight into what things happen, or may happen, and why: and it's also true that you do read reports of the experiences of mental health patients and they very often resemble the sort of things I witnessed and underwent myself.

 

[toggle]

Of course. This may very well be so and I hope that it is. But nevertheless, it was an experience which I think gave me some insight into what things happen, or may happen, and why: and it's also true that you do read reports of the experiences of mental health patients and they very often resemble the sort of things I witnessed and underwent myself.

And people who don't have a complaint about their stay in a mental health ward are going to be a hell of a lot less likely to be writing reports.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

And people who don't have a complaint about their stay in a mental health ward are going to be a hell of a lot less likely to be writing reports.

Maybe. But on the other hand most people, once they're out, are just glad to be out and even if they were people who were lkely to write reports, or have anywhere to publish them, they're too tired and busyt and relieved to do any such thing.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Also - and this is what is most frustrating of all - who's going to believe us?

 

[toggle]

Also - and this is what is most frustrating of all - who's going to believe us?

which is why it can help to have a cctv operator who believes that it is their job to protect patients as well as staff.

I'm not saying that shit dosen't happen. i know that my partner witnessed some by staff, even though they knew that they were being filmed. what I'm taking exception to is the insinuations that all staff are abusers and all patients have a bad time.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

It's common in bulletin board discussion to be told that one has insinuated or implied something, i.e. said something that one has not.

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

But unfortunatly there is some complicity on behalf of the staff (and patients) who stay quiet when they see something abusive or humilating happen on their ward.
If Zoe is on a ward that is run correctly (and there are some, mostly the private psych units full of NHS patients in my experience) then obviously she isn't complicit in anything because there's nothing bad happening.

But if Zoe (and it would be casting aspertions on poor Zoe for suggesting this) was working on a ward where there was an abuse or disrespect towards a patient and she turned a blind eye to it then she would be complicit surely?
I was a patient in an adolescent untit and saw some horrible things happen. Even though most of the staff were lovely and I am greatfull to them for their care they still turned a blind eye and ignored us when we told them as they couldn't do anything because they were scared of loosing their job security (I suppose) .
But at the end of the day, as much as I understand being scared to make waves, the staff get to go home at the end of the day, the patients are stuck there and can't escape.

(I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense or is irrelevent, I'm a bit stoned. Good luck with your job Zoe! )

 

[tommers]

hi zoe,

I work "in mental health". I don't work on an acute mental health ward, although I have spent some time on them.

My experience is that I love my job. I sometimes work with quite challenging people but rarely feel physically threatened, if that's what your main concern is. Wherever you work should have policies and risk assessments and so on and so forth that are there in order to minimise the chances of anything happening anyway.

The best part of my job is that I can spend time talking to people, often with widely varying experiences and it means that I learn stuff about myself as well as hopefully trying to help them get on in their lives.

God, it all sounds very worthy, doesn't it?

Like I said, I don't work on a ward so I don't really know what goes on there. Where I work, if I thought that a staff member was abusing a client then I would make an instant complaint to my boss and the complaint would be taken VERY seriously. We are also lucky in that the professionals (i.e. doctors, CPNs etc etc) are, in general, very good at their job, client-centred, flexible, yadda yadda yadda. That's not to say that stuff doesn't go on, I'm sure it does, but I have never experienced that side of the mental health field.

I've never regretted changing jobs. Hope you have as good a time as I have.

 

[frogwoman]

Just wanted to say good luck zoe

 

[Saffy]

Hi Zoe, I have just finished a 2 week placement on an accute mental health ward and I must admit I was shitting myself. The only experience of such a place before was visiting my dad "drying out" when I was about 7.

Anyway, I loved it! I did have a really good mentor who helped me out lots and advised me how to deal with certain situations so I'd suggest maybe asking to shadow someone for a day or so to get the feel of the place.

There were times when there was an incident but honestly it always seemed to happen between the service users and not the staff. You should be given a PIT (personal alarm) which you pull any time you don't feel safe. And believe me they do come running to your aid as I found out when I set mine off acidently.

If you get the chance to read the service users notes then do so, it will really help you interact with them.

Good luck!

 

[Firky]

I worked as an NA in a high risk unit a couple of years ago. Other than getting smacked in the head by an old wife, and sworn at every single day. I really enjoyed it! It could be a bit hairy at times when there was just a female nurse between guy who had murdered, raped kids and myself - but they were alright. Really. Chemical lobotomy saw to that

I loved it, really loved it, and I'd do it again - but there was difficult times. I saw someone who had taken their own life by tearing a wall tile off the wall and sticking it in her own throat. The site of a dead body, and blood on the ceiling, walls and that didn't bother me - it was the clinical way it was delt with. Sort of a fact of life, almost every day happening and the staff's indifference and lack of surpise that shocked me.

The pay was pretty good too, for every hour I worked (or survived) I got a 15%, double time on weekends and nights. You're also unioned up to your eyeballs and get good pension schemes. But do remember to opt out of UNISON's thing where they give a few pence each month to the Labour party

Firky

 

[janeb]

Good luck Zoe

 

[Emma Herself]

Thanks everyone! Tommers and saffy, thanks for the advice. And to Firky with the UNISON/labour heads up though that was some graphic imagery before bedtime...

Don't have a start date yet but should be in the next few weeks (hopefully) 8)

 

[avu9lives]

I'm starting a new job in a few weeks (my first ever "proper" full time job, go me), as an "activity worker" on an acute adult mental health ward in north london. Which involves helping the service users find interesting things to do whilst they're there, running activity sessions and helping out the Occupational Therapists.

I'm really looking forward to it cos I really wanted to work in mental health, and in the long and distant future am thinking of training to be an occupational therapist.

But now I've got the job I'm suddenly bricking it. I've worked with very challenging children before and pretty much always managed situations well, but that was with kids and obviously a bit different. And I keep getting scare stories of how I'm going to be beaten up by raging, foaming lunatics and blah blah. Part of me thinks that's all bollocks and I'll do fine, but another part of me thinks maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew. I've often had people infer that I'll be too "emotional" about the job (i.e. too soft to hack it), but I've handled tough emotional situations at work before...

I guess I'm just having a bit of a wobble. Does/did anyone here work in mental health? Are the scare stories true, will I be strangled within a week? Or is that just some bullshit stereotype born out of people thinking that anyone with mental health problems MUST be some dangerous savage?

Go on, reassure me

I wish you well really, but can't help feeling maybe you should have done some work experience or voluntary work in this area first (maybe you have?)
Chill, relax, be yourself - as this it what maybe got you the job? you obviously had some quality that you future employers saw in you.
I think that if you can give off the right vibes, you will hopefully! get them back, people pick up your vibes, so havin a positive mental attitude in an eviroment such as this will hopfully help Good luck

 

[astral]

good luck, my baby sister is an OT and always had wicked stories about it, she loves her job.

Whatever you see, just try to keep your mind open and do what you feel is right. Goodluck Zoe.