Celebrating our mental health nurses: International Nurses Day

The question of who is looking after our nurses has been brought into the spotlight with new research from the United Kingdom pointing to an increase in mental health issues among “the caring professions”.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Dr Lesley van Schoubroeck said personal resilience among nurses and clinicians was now an essential skill to combat burnout, stress and mental illnesses.

On this International Nurses Day (12 May), the Commissioner paid tribute to the more than 20,000 nurses working in mental health in Australia.

She said research from Cardiff University, in the UK, identified the impact of job stress on professionals working in mental health.

It also found that more than 40% of those health professionals who had experienced mental ill health did not disclose it and were unlikely to seek help.

“This research is consistent with what we know about the levels of stress that health professionals face and it highlights the need for a more open health culture among those working in the health sector,”
Dr van Schoubroeck said.

“We know that while most nurses find their careers rewarding, many would also agree that they work in an environment that is both physically and psychologically challenging and not always as nurturing as we would expect.

“Resilience is not just the ability to roll with the punches. It’s the ability to grow and learn, even during times of adversity. It’s our personal protective shield and central to promoting healthy working environments for our nurses and other mental health professionals.”

Dr van Schoubroeck said mental health nurses would continue to play a critical role in the integrated delivery of government services to positively impact people living with mental illness and improve the overall wellbeing of Queenslanders.

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