Reflective Statement on Mental Health Nursing Practice

Running head: REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
I am Linson Chackappan and at present I am pursuing my Post Graduate Diploma in
Mental Health Nursing. I have worked as a community care nursing professional for a period
of 3 months under the GNP program at a community setting. The internship was undertaken
by me so as to qualify for the community placement for the subject code: (NURS 5158)
Consolidation of Mental Health Nursing Practice.
I worked at the Western Immediate Care Centre (WICC). The hospital setting
comprised of a community ward with a capacity of 15 beds, step up and step down. The
patients that were referred were discharged clients who were thoroughly screened by us and
accordingly a decision was undertaken to either send the client back home or retain the client
at the hospital for better treatment. In most of the cases, the clients had a voluntary response
about going back home. However, the patients that felt unwell refused to go home. In order to
deal with such patients the doctors make use of the involuntary order under the Mental Health
Act to send the clients home. A wide range of clients were treated that comprised of patients
affected with PTSD, Bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, Major Depression, Schizoaffective
disorder and Manic disorder. The nursing professionals worked in collaboration with a
multidisciplinary team of doctors, social workers, OT staff, care consultant, peer specialist
and support workers during the working hours of business operation. The nursing
professionals worked 24/7 and practiced medication under the section 56 after the business
hours.
I assimilated a lot of knowledge from my professional working experience. The team
of the nursing professionals adapted a multidisciplinary care approach and aimed to deliver
effective treatment to the patients. The service provided upheld the ethical guidelines of the
nursing professional standard and dispensed a culturally safe care to attain positive patient
outcomes (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au 2018). I encountered several problems with
respect to handling clients of indigenous origin on account of the cultural distance and the