scholarly journals An analysis of the views of different members of the inpatient team on the role of the physician associate on the general adult psychiatric wards

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S140-S141
Author(s):  
Declan Hyland ◽  
Mohammed Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Strong Argument ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
X Band ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Adult Inpatient ◽  
Inpatient Units ◽  
Assistant Practitioner

AimsPhysician Associates (PAs) are healthcare professionals who have a general medical education background, having completed a two-year postgraduate degree. Whilst the number of PAs employed in healthcare trusts continues to increase, the number working in mental health settings remains small.Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust employed two PAs two years ago. In August 2019, a third PA was recruited to work at Clock View Hospital, a general adult inpatient unit.This analysis aimed to establish the views of different members of the team across the three general adult wards and the Psychiatric Care Unit (PICU) at Clock View Hospital on the role of the PA.MethodA sample of members of staff was identified from across the three general adult inpatient wards at and the PICU, comprising: senior doctors (Consultants and Specialty Doctor), junior trainees (Core Trainee and Foundation Trainees), Ward Manager, Deputy Ward Manager, Band 5 nurse and Assistant Practitioner. Each member of staff was asked to answer the question “On a scale of 1 to 10 (with “1” being completely unhappy, “10” being completely happy), how happy are you to have a PA working on your ward?” Each staff member was then asked to provide comments on their views on the role of the PA.ResultTwenty-three members of staff participated – 3 x senior doctors, 4 x junior trainees, 4 Ward Managers, 4 Deputy Ward Managers, 4 x Band 5 nurses and 4 x Assistant Practitioners. The respondents were distributed equally across the three general adult wards and the PICU. All 23 members of staff provided a score of 10 out 10 to the question about how happy they were to have a PA working on the ward. Many of the staff members provided some very positive comments on their respective views about the role of the PA at Clock View Hospital. No negative comments were provided by any members of staff.ConclusionIt is clear from the large sample of members of staff of different grade at Clock View Hospital that were surveyed that the PA has been a warmly received and welcome addition to the inpatient team and that the PA is viewed as having become an important and valued member of the inpatient team. This provides a strong argument for both Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, and other mental health trusts across the U.K., to consider employing more PAs to work in their inpatient units.

scholarly journals A survey of the level of knowledge and understanding of members of the inpatient team on the role of the physician associate on the general adult psychiatric wards

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S140-S140
Author(s):  
Declan Hyland ◽  
Mohammed Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Junior Trainee ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Adult Inpatient ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
Assistant Practitioner

AimsPhysician Associates (PAs) are healthcare professionals with a general medical education background, having completed a two-year postgraduate degree. Whilst the number of PAs employed in healthcare trusts continues to increase, the number working in mental health settings remains small.Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust employed two PAs two years ago. In August 2019, a third PA was recruited to work at Clock View Hospital, a general adult inpatient unit.This survey aims to establish what level of understanding different members of the inpatient teams across the inpatient wards have of the tasks PAs are permitted to undertake and those they are not.MethodA survey was designed, listing 37 tasks, e.g. completing an admission clerking. For each task, the participant was asked whether a PA is allowed to complete it or not, with three options provided – “can carry out the task”, “cannot carry out the task” and “do not know.” A score of + 1 was awarded if the correct answer was provided, –1 for an incorrect answer and 0 if the respondent didn't know. The highest possible score for a completed survey was + 37 points; the lowest possible score was –37 points.A sample of survey respondents was identified from the three general adult inpatient wards at Clock View Hospital and the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), comprising: senior doctors, junior trainees, Ward Manager, Deputy Ward Manager, Band 5 nurse and Assistant Practitioner.ResultTwenty-four members of staff completed the survey – 3 senior doctors, 4 junior trainees, 4 Ward Managers, 4 Deputy Ward Managers, 5 Band 5 nurses and 4 Assistant Practitioners. The respondents were distributed equally across the three general adult wards and the PICU. The highest survey score was 36 out of 37 (a Consultant); the lowest was 18 (a junior trainee). The lowest mean score was variable across the different grades of staff, with Consultants scoring highest at 29 and Assistant Practitioners and Ward Managers both scoring lowest at 25. There was little variability in mean score (only 2 points) across the three wards and PICU.ConclusionThe results from this survey demonstrate that different members of the inpatient team have a good understanding of what tasks PAs are and are not permitted to. There is still a need to provide further education to inpatient staff to ensure they utilise the PA at Clock View Hospital appropriately and that the PA is able to develop his skill set.

What is the impact of staff wearing uniforms in psychiatric inpatient settings?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Collingwood ◽  
Laura McKenzie-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Ideal Self ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Inpatient Settings ◽  
The Impact

Background: Uniform has traditionally been worn in psychiatric inpatient and other mental health settings, but there has been a move to non-uniform in recent years. Some services have made the change back to uniform, raising questionsabout the potential impact on patients and staff.Aim: To review the impact of uniform within a psychiatric inpatient or mental health setting.Method: Databases were searched for articles exploring the impact of uniform use using specified search terms. Articles were assessed for suitability with inclusion and exclusion criteria, critically appraised, then analysed for themes using thematic analysis.Results: 17 papers were included in the review. Thematic analysis identified five main themes and 29 subthemes. Main themes were Attitudes and interactions, A freer environment, Are you both nurses?, The ‘ideal self’ and There are more important things. A critical appraisal of the articles suggested issues with validityand reliability, which are discussed.Discussion: Studies identified that wearing non-uniform facilitated positive changes in both patients and staff. This raises the potential negative impact of uniform on both patients and staff, and the role of power imbalance in these settings is discussed. Further themes around identification of staff out of uniform were considered.Implications for practice: The use of uniform in mental health and psychiatric inpatient settings should be considered carefully, due to the potential negative impact, whilst also recognising the importance of staff identification and supporting professional identity.

Multidisciplinary or Nondisciplinary: Evaluation of Staff Functioning in a Community Mental Health Centre

1984 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Krupnski ◽  
Lenora Lippmann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Community Mental Health Centre ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Mental Health Centre ◽  
Community Roles

This paper describes the staffing aspects of an experimental community mental health centre (Melville Clinic). The different components of staff roles of members of a team consisting of different health professionals, crystallised during the three-year period with a shift from a ‘nondisciplinary’ to a ‘multidisciplinary’ approach, with preservation of ‘generalised’ and ‘specialised’, ‘clinical’ and ‘community’ roles of all staff members. The decision-making in the centre oscillated between group decisions by all staff members, and the acceptance of the leading role of the psychiatrist with the active Involvement of the test of the staff. This paper provides a model for multidisciplinary teamwork in community mental health centres.

Incorporating Exercise Professionals in Mental Health Settings: An Australian Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish Fibbins ◽  
Oscar Lederman ◽  
Rachel Morell ◽  
Bonnie Furzer ◽  
Kemi Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Settings

ABSTRACT Low rates of physical activity, in addition to other poor physical health behaviors, contribute to lower quality of life and increased rates of premature mortality for people living with mental illness. Physical activity reduces this mortality gap while simultaneously improving mood, cognitive function, and symptomology for a variety of psychiatric disorders. While physical activity programs are feasible and acceptable in this population, significant barriers exist that limit long-term adherence. Accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) are best-placed in Australia to lead physical activity interventions for people living with mental illness. Additionally, AEPs provide an important role in improving culture change within mental health settings by influencing clinicians' attitudes to physical activity interventions. Leading international mental health organizations should collaborate and promote the role of physical activity to increase the provision of such services to people living with mental illness.

Occupational Therapy and Care Coordination: The Challenges Faced by Occupational Therapists in Community Mental Health Settings

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 496-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Culverhouse ◽  
Paul F Bibby
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Specific Work ◽  
Health Practice ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Community Mental Health Settings

There is continuing debate concerning the role of occupational therapists within community mental health practice. This opinion piece advocates the need for occupational therapists to undertake more profession-specific work. Its argument draws upon real life case studies as well as the service users' views expressed in the recent College of Occupational Therapists' 10-year strategy for occupational therapy mental health services.

scholarly journals Patient Safety and Risk Management in Mental Health

2020 ◽  
pp. 287-298
Author(s):  
Alessandro Cuomo ◽  
Despoina Koukouna ◽  
Lorenzo Macchiarini ◽  
Andrea Fagiolini
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Psychiatric Unit ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Staff Members

AbstractThis chapter will review the most common adverse events that happen in a psychiatric unit and the safety measures that are needed to decrease the risk of errors and adverse events. The adverse events and errors that may happen in a psychiatric unit are unique and will be examined in detail. This section will also highlight the role of staff members and patients in preventing or causing the error.

scholarly journals Adherence to Public Health England (PHE) guidance for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in north Wales mental health unit- a regional audit

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S318-S318
Author(s):  
Asha Dhandapani ◽  
Sathyan Soundararajan ◽  
Alberto Salmoiraghi ◽  
Shona Ginty ◽  
Tajnin Mitu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
North Wales ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Mental Health Unit ◽  
Inpatient Units

AimsTo ensure that the PPE guidance is strictly adhered to.To ensure that patient care is not compromised.To help us in areas of need in order to educate the staff regarding the techniques of PPE and thus ensure patient and staff safety and care during the pandemic.MethodNovel coronavirus 2019 was first described in December 2019 in Wuhan in China. Since those initial few cases, it has rapidly proliferated to a global pandemic, putting an inordinate amount of strain on healthcare systems around the world. We believe that the technique of donning and doffing if followed as per PHE guidelines would be of help in both preventing the infection and improve the care and safety of both patients and staff.This Audit includes both In-patient and Out-patient units in Psychiatric services across North Wales. Data were collected from 19 units out of 39. We observed covertly 325 staff members belonging to various cadres. Apart from the Donning and Doffing techniques, we also observed the availability of designated areas for this purpose and the availability of PPE as well.Data collection was by junior and senior doctors from various sites of the mental health unit in North Wales. A proforma was provided, the standards were based on PHE guidelines.ResultIt was noted that just about 50% of the staff followed donning as per guidance. Amongst all three sites, the Central team showed a better adherence with 85% of them donning PPE correctly. whereas only 22% adhered to donning in the West team.Only 21% of them managed to doff PPE as per guidance amongst all 3 centres in North Wales.It was also noted that there are no designated areas to Don and Doff in outpatient units. Staff, in general, seem to not adhere to the guidance of utilising a mask, especially when within 2 meters distance of other staff.ConclusionWe will be presenting the Audit at the regional meeting. After discussion with the infection prevention control team and Health and safety lead, we intend to improvise the wards with designated areas for donning and doffing. Teaching sessions for the staff in all three sites, reminders in various areas of the community mental health units and inpatient units.We are hoping that these recommendations will help us in achieving our aim of health and safety during this pandemic.

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