Unite Mental Health Nurses Association

04/06/2025

'Unite to ballot NHS members over "substandard" pay award'

Unite, one of Britain's biggest health unions, has begun balloting its NHS members over the recent below-inflation pay award from the government.

18/12/2024

Welcome to episode 171 [originally broadcast on Wednesday 11 December 2024] of ​​​​​​​​. This week Nicky Lambert and David Munday spoke with guest Andy Bell. Andy is the chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health.

AB: Andy has been with Centre for Mental Health since 2002 and became Chief Executive in January 2023. He has worked for more than 25 years in the voluntary sector, striving for equality and social justice through research, communicating evidence, influencing policy, and informing debate.
Andy was the driving force behind the Commission for Equality in Mental Health, funded by the Elliott Simmons Charitable Trust, established to investigate inequalities in mental health. The Commission's work culminated in a final report, Mental Health for All , which set out what a system for equality could look like across communities, local and national government.
He is at the forefront of Equally Well UK, a collaborative to support the physical health of people with a mental illness.
He plays a pivotal role in facilitating the Local Authority Mental Health Challenge which engages elected members across the country.

Some X links to follow are:
VG - x.com/VanessaRNMH
NL - x.com/niadla​​​​​​​​
DM - x.com/davidamunday
AB - x.com/Andy__Bell__

Credits:
Presenters: Vanessa Gilmartin, Nicky Lambert & David Munday
Guest: Andy Bell
Theme music: Tony Gillam
Production & Editing: David Munday

02/10/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fifth event on Friday 3 May 2024. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Author: Dr Gary Lamph

Title: A World Café Approach that explored perspectives of people with lived experience and occupational experience

Background - The diagnosis personality disorder is one which continues to split opinions. Negative connotations, stigma and negativity surrounds the diagnostic category. In recent years a movement to challenge the label and terminology of personality disorder has emerged.

Aim – To explore the perspectives of the diagnostic label personality disorder with people with lived and occupational experience in a live conference world café based format.

Methods – Adopting a World café participatory method provided a flexible and effective approach to capturing the qualitative views of people in a large group format. Table discussions were hosted using a co-facilitated model to capture the table discussions. Each table had different discussion points pertaining to the diagnostic label. The event ensured that necessary dialogue is developed, delivered and analysed in co-production. The unique methods and delivery will be discussed.

Results - This study identified contrasting opinions towards the label of Personality Disorder and provides insight into the concerns described for both keeping and losing the label. Although many felt the words ‘‘personality’’ and ‘‘disorder’’ are not in themselves helpful, certain positive views were also revealed. Perspectives towards the label were influenced by the way in which diagnosis was explained and understood by patients and practitioners, alongside the extent to which service provision and evidence-based interventions were offered.

X Links:
VG - https://x.com/VanessaRNMH
NL - https://x./com/niadla​​​​​​​​
DM - https://x.com/davidamunday
GL - https://x.com/gazlamph

03/07/2024

episode 168 - Comensus at

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fifth event on Friday 3 May 2024. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Author: Comensus service user and carer involvement group

Title: Comensus service user and carer involvement group, University of Central Lancashire

Abstract: Comensus service users and carers have been an integral part of professional health and social care education and development at the University of Central Lancashire for 20 years (Garner et al., 2022; Gordon et al., 2020; Mckeown et al., 2011). Throughout this period, they have also been invited to be part of research opportunities, with colleagues internal to the University and with external partners from practice and academia. A panel of service users and carers have agreed to share their experiences of being involved in qualitative research, both as research participants and more recently, as participant researchers themselves.
They will provide a short presentation introducing themselves and their involvement in research activity to date, followed by a Q&A to explore their individual perspectives of being researched, or involved in conducting research.

26/06/2024

episode 167 - Jesse Ussman at

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fifth event on Friday 3 May 2024. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Author: Jesse Ussman
Title: The Online Health Information Seeking Behaviour of People of African Descent in the UK

Abstract: The current digital transformation has had a significant impact on how people seek health information, including mental health support. This is especially relevant for People of African Descent (PoAD) in the United Kingdom (UK), who face unique barriers to accessing mental health services. This presentation is based on a recent qualitative study that explored the online health information-seeking behaviour (HISB) of PoAD in the UK. The study used reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 21 PoAD aged 20 to 70 years and a mean age of 42.8 (SD ±11.4). Five overarching themes were revealed: internet literacy, attitudes towards social media, obstacles to online health information, trust in professional sources, and cultural influences on HISB.
For mental health nurses, it is crucial to provide culturally sensitive mental health support that recognises the unique needs, beliefs, and online behaviours of PoAD. This presentation covers methods for overcoming obstacles to accessing mental health information online, such as addressing concerns about privacy, information overload, and mistrust in online sources. It will also highlight the potential of social media and online platforms in spreading reliable mental health information, improving digital health literacy, and promoting a community-based approach to mental health support.
Mental health nurses can help bridge the gap between PoAD and mental health support by understanding and leveraging online HISB. This includes providing reliable and culturally appropriate mental health information and implementing strategies to enhance access to mental health services. The insights from this study offer a valuable framework for mental health nurses to develop inclusive, effective, and accessible mental health care services for PoAD, contributing to improved mental health outcomes and equity in healthcare provision.

29/05/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fifth event on Friday 3 May 2024. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Author: Sarah Traill

Title: Making sense of the feedback experience: An interpretative phenomenological analytic study exploring the lived experiences of student mental health nurses receiving written feedback on their assessments.

Abstract: The aim of providing students with written assessment feedback is to support future development (Carless & Boud 2018; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Pitt & Quinlan 2022; Winstone & Nash 2016). Feedback itself has been identified as having a powerful effect on learning and development (Hattie & Timperley 2007; Wisniewski, Ziere & Hattie 2019). In an age of neoliberal marketized education, feedback is a common source of students’ dissatisfaction and thus detrimentally affects NSS and TEF outcomes (Winstone & Carless 2021; Winstone, Ajjawi & Boud 2021). In an attempt to enhance students’ satisfaction and league table position, HE institutions have focused their efforts on consistency and standardisation of assessment feedback practices, yet satisfaction with assessment feedback remains poor (Winstone, Ajjawi & Boud 2021).
This research explores the phenomena using IPA to draw out idiographic and group experiential themes that capture how students make sense of the feedback experience. This research considers feedback from an interconnected perspective, exploring the students understanding of themselves and their position in the world of education. The research identified two key conceptual themes of “Educational Baggage” and “The mediating influence of relationships”. Rather than approaches which game the NSS and TEF metrics, this research highlight the importance of authentic learner centred approaches to assessment feedback. The resulting principles of practice and recommendations offer flexible, adaptable, and efficient routes towards enhanced student engagement, agency, attainment and satisfaction.

08/05/2024

Welcome to episode 162 of ​​​​​​​​. On this weeks we were joined by guests Donna Gaffney and Dr Ed Lord to talk about Courageous Well-Being for Nurses: Strategies for Renewal.

This session was pre-recorded on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and is/was shared as an ‘as live recording’ on Wednesday 8 May 2024.

DG: Dr. Donna Gaffney, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN is a board-certified advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurse and psychotherapist. She has extensive experience addressing stress, loss, and trauma in the lives of adults and children. Donna has dedicated her career to promoting mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals, most recently focusing on the challenges of the evolving post-pandemic healthcare landscape. In September 2023, Johns Hopkins University Press published her evidence-based guide and anthology Courageous Well-Being for Nurses: Strategies for Renewal. It provides vital concepts and strategies for safeguarding mental health and improving overall well-being. Presently, she is designing a curriculum that explores the intersection of meaningful work, mattering, and well-being among healthcare professionals.

Donna designs and presents workshops and webinars both nationally and internationally. She previously served on the faculties of Columbia University and the International Trauma Studies Program. Donna holds masters degrees from Teachers College at Columbia University and Rutgers University and earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also a Fellow at Columbia University Journalism School. In 2021, Donna was honored with the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Award for Excellence in Practice-APRN. Donna lives in Los Angeles, California. You can learn more about Donna’s work at https://www.donnagaffney.com/

EL: Dr Ed Lord is a lecturer in mental health nursing at Swansea University. He has a clinical background in acute inpatient mental health services in the NHS in both England and Wales. Ed's research interests cover the intersection of mental health, geography, environmentalism, and critical social theory.

The episode was focused on Donna’s book, ‘Courageous Well-Being for Nurses: Strategies for Renewal’. You can purchase a copy of the book with a 30% discount via: https://twitter.com/Unite_MHNA/status/1787789667129008552. Please note we receive no commission from these sales.

Some X links to follow are:
VG - https://www.x.com/VanessaRNMH
NL - https://www.x.com/niadla​​​​​​​​
DM - https://www.x.com/davidamunday
DG - https://www.x.com/donnaagaffney
EL - https://www.x.com/ecotherapyTed

Credits:
Presenters: Vanessa Gilmartin, Nicky Lambert & David Munday
Guests: Donna Gaffney and Dr Ed Lord
Theme music: Tony Gillam
Production & Editing: David Munday

27/03/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.
The following session was recorded at their fourth event on Friday 17 November 2023. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Title: Back to the Future: How can Enrolled Nurses (Mental Health) experience of education and training inform nurse associate and other apprenticeship programmes

Abstract: The return to the two-year programme of Nursing education draws comparisons to the Enrolled Nursing route which was phased out in the 1990s. The reasons for the Enrolled Nurses introduction were very similar to the Nursing
Associate - a chronic lack of registered nurses and subsequent care gap in meeting patient need. Thus, looking back to the education and training experiences of Enrolled Nurses who also experienced a two-year apprenticeship programme and work-based learning appears to be timely. Using a historical qualitative methodology has potential to provide insights toward informing the future development of the two-year programme Trainee Nursing Associate route and beyond. The aim of the proposed research study is to explore Enrolled Nurses' experiences of education and training to inform the Nursing Associate and other relevant apprenticeship programmes.

21/02/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fourth event on Friday 17 November 2023. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Presentation lead: Dr Leila Sharda

Title: A narrative synthesis using the normalisation process theory coding manual for qualitative research as an analytical
framework

Abstract: Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) is frequently used to inform qualitative research that aims to explain and evaluate processes that shape late-stage translation of innovations in the organisation and delivery of healthcare. A coding manual for qualitative researchers using NPT will facilitate transparent data analysis processes and will also reduce the cognitive and practical burden on researchers.

14/02/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fourth event on Friday 17 November 2023. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Title: Achieving PARITY: Co-creating an impact measure for service user and carer involvement in pre-registration nurse
education

Abstract: Few impact measures are developed in co-production with service users and carers. This study contributes to addressing that gap. The resulting co-created 21-item impact measure, which was tested for structural validity and internal reliability, shows promise and offers something original to the field by embracing a participatory approach to all stages of the research process. These early test results should be treated with a measure of caution; the methodological limitations of testing at just one university and with a limited age range of students are acknowledged. Future research will be required to strengthen internal consistency and address these limitations, and to establish the stability of the measure, before it can be claimed to meaningfully measure any changes resulting from service user and carer involvement in the curriculum.

24/01/2024

The Northern Mental Health Nursing Qualitative Research Forum meets three times a year to connect Mental Health Nurse researchers interested in, and conducting, qualitative research, methodologies and innovations. If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact james.turner@shu.ac.uk.

The following session was recorded at their fourth event on Friday 17 November 2023. With thanks to Prof Karen Wright and Dr James Turner for organising the event and the invitation to support with recording the sessions.

Title: Quiet students in Nurse Education: what are their experiences of the curriculum?

Author: Tricia Hughes

08/11/2023

We're sorry to say that tonight's is being postponed due to the availability of one of our wonderful guests! We hope to confirm a new date for the episode ASAP. We'll be back next week with guest Beverley Powell as she talks about 'Burning my Superwoman Cape: Leadership Life lessons after the cape has gone'!