Mental Health Nurse

Client Name:Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Role: Mental Health Nurse

Rates: Up to £32.00 per hour

Shifts: Flexible hours, with shifts available throughout the day, night and at weekends.

Benefits:

• Access to Care4Carers - our support service to help support your mental health and wellbeing and enable you to deliver outstanding care.
• Competitive pay rates
• First sight of agency nursing shifts across multiple trusts
• Next-day payroll
• Block bookings in your favourite locations
• Excellent support from your own dedicated consultant
• Revalidation support
• 24/7/365 service - we're available when you need us

Medacs Healthcare is looking for nursing professionals who specialise in mental health to work flexible shifts. Responsible for forming trusting relationships with your patients, your goal will be to help those individuals to lead happier, healthier lives. You should be a fully qualified Mental Health Nurse, who is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

You will primarily be working with people experiencing a range of mental health illnesses including, but not limited to; depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, eating disorders, paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia and generalised behavioural or emotional problems. It is a varied position where you will not only use traditional medical and nursing techniques to monitor patients' physical and mental health but will provide a great deal of emotional support too. You will assist people in taking medications correctly, advise on social activities and available therapies to help their wellbeing. Often you will be a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.

Patient focus

Communication and interpersonal skills will be key to your role when working with patients and their families/carers too. Often, those requiring mental health support will be vulnerable, frightened, or distressed and you will need to be confident and well-practised in providing both reassurance and encouragement. You should be empathetic, caring and have a good understanding of the full range of mental health disorders so that you can treat patients with differing needs accordingly.

General key skills

In addition to your qualifications, as a Mental Health Nurse, you will have:

• A good understanding of mental health conditions, symptoms, and treatments
• First-class communication skills
• The ability to establish trusting relationships quickly
• Strong judgement
• The ability to make important, life-changing (and lifesaving) decisions
• Persuasiveness
• Empathy and understanding
• Excellent listening skills
• Excellent organisation and time management skills
• Stamina and good under pressure
• Resilience, the ability to instil some emotional distance and switch off outside of work
• The ability to work as part of a wider team
• A genuine passion for improving people's lives and wellbeing

Main Duties/Responsibilities

As an RMN with Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trustyou will:

• Playing a key role in the care and rehabilitation of mental health patients
• Meeting patients daily, providing tailored, support plans in line with their specific diagnosis/prognosis
• Arranging any ongoing, long-term support for after a patient leaves your care
• Building trusting relationships with patients, putting them at ease
• Listening and talking to patients, offering advice and reassurance
• Working closely with other mental healthcare professionals to agree the most appropriate treatment plans for those in your care
• Working with and advising relatives and carers on patient conditions, outlooks, treatment, and progress
• Keeping medical records up to date
• Regularly carrying out any standard physical health checks that may be required, such as monitoring patients' vital statistics, blood tests, etc.
• Administering medication as appropriate
• Talking through available therapies, support networks, social activities that may help to improve mental health and wellbeing
• Managing workloads and shift patterns for yourself (and sometimes others)
• Maintaining a positive attitude, even in difficult situations
• Promoting mental health initiatives, reducing stigma associated with mental health
• Staying up to date with mental health best practice and theory

Qualifications/Licenses/Certifications

Essential

• Be a registered nurse.
• At least 2 years post-graduate experience.
• 6 months recent NHS experience within the last 3 years.
• You will need to pass an enhanced background check.

Patient focus

If you think you have what it takes to be an exceptional Mental Health Nurse, we can't wait to hear from you. Apply today.