ARDC Research Link Australia

ORCID Profile
Orcid icon. 0000-0002-1178-1370

Current Organisations
University of Tasmania , University of Sydney , South Western Sydney Local Health District , PJB Clinical Supervision Consultancy

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Publications

Publication

PRN Psychotropic Medication and Acute Mental Health Nursing: Reviewing the Evidence

Publisher: SLACK, Inc.

Date: 08-2012

DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20120703-03

Abstract: Administration of p.r.n. ( pro re nata ) medication is a typical practice in acute inpatient mental health units. Although guided by the prescription, the administration of p.r.n. medication is a relatively autonomous component of the nurse’s role, and the decision to administer is generally one for the nurse. During a number of facilitated planning days at the authors’ facility, nurses indicated that the practice associated with administration of psychotropic p.r.n. medications in an acute inpatient mental health unit required clearer articulation. Against this background, the authors conducted a review of the literature, with two objectives: to identify and then communicate to the nurses the best evidence to support nursing practice. The authors found considerable variation in nursing practices related to administration of p.r.n. medication. In an area of practice that is undertaken with such regularity and with considerable potential impact on consumers, these findings point to the need for further research to establish best practices.

Publication

Near-Hanging and its Management in the Acute Inpatient Mental Health Setting

Publisher: SLACK, Inc.

Date: 05-2014

DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20140110-01

Abstract: Being admitted to an inpatient mental health unit does not necessarily protect a patient against suicidal behavior. Given their purpose and design, these clinical areas can provide a safe environment for reducing hanging deaths. Strategies for reducing suicide by hanging in acute inpatient units should include ongoing review of the safety of the environment and the emergency management of near-hanging. After receiving a request from inpatient nursing staff to develop an education program focused on the emergency management of near-hanging, the authors undertook a review of the literature to (a) identify the evidence base within this area and (b) establish an effective means to promote safe practice with the staff. This article provides a synthesis of the literature review and its implications for nursing practice. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 52 (5), 41–45.]

Publication

Peer Support Workers hold the key to opening up recovery-orientated service in inpatient units

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 29-05-2013

DOI: 10.1177/1039856212475332

Publication

Practice What You Preach: Developing Person-Centred Culture in Inpatient Mental Health Settings through Strengths-Based, Transformational Leadership

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 08-2013

DOI: 10.3109/01612840.2013.790524

Abstract: The experience of nursing staff and consumers in inpatient mental health wards is often reported as being negative. Efforts to improve culture and practice have had limited success, with ineffective leadership, staff resistance, and unresponsive organisational culture identified as common barriers to change. Practice development has been promoted as an approach to developing person-centred culture that enables professional development through participation, learning and empowerment. For person-centred practice to flourish, organisational leadership at all levels must reflect the same principles. In preparation for the opening of a new integrated mental health service, an inpatient mental health team participated in a practice development project. An action research approach was used to facilitate a series of "away days," initially with the nursing team and then other members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT). Transformational leadership principles were adopted in the facilitation of team activities underpinned by strengths and solution-focused practices. Evaluation of the project by staff members was very positive and there was a high level of participation in practice development activities. The project resulted in the creation of a development plan for the ward, which prioritised five key themes: person-centred care, personal recovery, strengths-based principles, and evidence-based and values-based care. The project outcomes highlight the importance of leadership, which parallels the ideals promoted for clinical practice.

Publication

Trauma-Informed Care and Practice: Practice Improvement Strategies in an Inpatient Mental Health Ward

Publisher: SLACK, Inc.

Date: 10-2017

DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20170818-03

Abstract: A growing body of evidence highlights that trauma is the single most significant predictor that an in idual will need support from mental health services. Yet despite this association, mental health services have been slow to provide approaches to care and treatment that deal directly with trauma. Embedding the principles of trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) in acute inpatient ward practice can lead to practice improvement and cultural change over a number of areas. The current service evaluation highlights how these principles can inform practice and the positive affect this has on areas such as seclusion and restraint, therapeutic engagement, and ward routines. TICP complements recovery-focused models of care and promotes collaborative and empowering relationships in the inpatient setting. Embedding this approach in inpatient mental health units can lead to changes in professional practice and service provision that benefit service users. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55 (10), 34–38.]

Publication

The Chemical Evolution of Heavy Elements in Globular Clusters

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Date: 05-2013

DOI: 10.1017/S1743921313007059

Abstract: We present preliminary results from a chemical evolution model that tracks the composition of heavy elements beyond iron in a globular cluster. The heavy elements can be used as tracers of the nucleosynthetic events that defined the formation and evolution of star clusters in the early Universe. In particular, the chemical evolution model focuses on the hypothesis that rapidly-rotating massive stars produced the heavy elements via the slow neutron-capture process and seeded the proto-cluster while the stars we see today were still forming. We compare our model with heavy element abundances in M4 and M5, and M22. Our results are strongly dependent on the highly uncertain rate of the 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne reaction, which determines the strength of 16 O as a neutron poison. We find that the [Pb/Ba] ratio is too low to match the empirical value, which might suggest that a contribution from AGB stars is required.