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Today is Mental Health Nurses Day! A big thank you to all of our nurses. This is an annual celebration and opportunity for us to recognise the incredible difference our mental health nurses make to the lives of the people and communities we serve.

To mark Mental Health Nurses’ Day, we are shining a light on some of our brilliant mental health nurses who have been talking to us about their roles and experiences, including what inspired them to join the profession. Read their stories here.

Beverley Baldwin, Head of Nursing and Quality, CAMHS & All Age Eating Disorders Service Line at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust:

What inspired you to become a mental health nurse?

"I’m from a family of nurses. My two sisters are both nurses, and my mum (pictured right above) was also a nurse. My brother is a social worker and one of my daughters is training to be a psychologist while the other is an aspiring forensic psychologist.

"My mum was a senior state enrolled nurse which was identified by a green belt with a brass buckle. When she progressed from a green belt to a red belt with a silver buckle it was great to see her so proud of herself all those years ago. It’s been wonderful to share my success with my mum and she was v ery proud when I got my first ward manager role.”

What does a typical day look like for you?

“I start work at 8am and the first thing I do is check incident forms and our Trust’s data dashboard to ensure all observation and engagement and clinical safety checks have been completed. Then it's on to my first meeting which is usually to look over risk and escalations from the wards and review some of our more complex and challenging patients, ensuring relevant plans are in place and our staff feel supported. I attend various other meetings throughout the day which are mostly operational and about supporting teams to deliver high quality care to our patients.” 

Can you share a particularly memorable moment or patient interaction that has impacted you during your time here?

“There’s a patient who I often stop and have a chat with. I first met him when he would arrive early for the opening of the patients’ bank in the old Springfield H ospital. We met by him asking me what I was smiling about he said, ‘you make me smile because you’re always smiling when I see you.’ We progressed from saying ‘hello' to 'how’s your day?' and now he will tell me all about his day and what he has been doing. It’s always ten minutes well spent when I see him. I don’t see him as often now we have moved buildings, but when we do meet it is great to catch up. He reminds me of how important it is to be kind!"