I AM A ...
Tracey McMahon is a Delphi nurse who has developed her interest in mental health by working in a prison environment
As a child travelling on the train with my mum , we would go past a large mental health hospital . In the ’ 80s this was referred to as an asylum and this intrigued me . I would ask questions and tell my mum I wanted to work there one day .
As I grew up I forgot about this and wanted to teach English in Africa , but at 18 , returning from travelling and waiting to start university , I started working in an elderly care home with nurses . Inspired by their commitment , I decided I wanted to be a nurse .
I started my training at Salford University in 2005 , qualifying in 2008 . I then started working as a mental health nurse at a medium secure unit , where I worked for the next ten years with various client groups at various stages of their mental health recovery . It was during this time that I developed an interest in substance misuse . I started a new programme co-facilitating psycho-education groups .
With my ongoing interest in substance misuse , I applied for a job as an alcohol nurse in a prison , which became recovery nurse when the healthcare provider changed . I was helping patients within the prison who had varying substance misuse needs , mainly focusing on those who were new into prison and had self-identified as being dependant on alcohol or opiates .
I saw a job advert at the mental health hospital I ’ d been obsessed with as a child and applied . I was working with patients who had been detained for over 20 years , and they continued to struggle with their mental health . During my time there I saw many changes including the patient group changing dramatically – they became younger , substance misuse became more prevalent , and within the service it was identified that there was a lack of substance misuse knowledge and support . I , along with a few colleagues , became involved in offering interventions for those with substance misuse needs .
I attended various training courses and spent time with specialist substance misuse services . I also did a level 6 / 7 course in psychosocial interventions to complement the substance misuse knowledge I had gained .
Throughout my nurse training I had always felt better suited to secure settings and working with this client group , seeing their mental health improve , was rewarding . Many of them would spend time in the hospital setting , away from their families and community for many years , and being able to work with the same person for this long really does allow you to build up a rapport and help them holistically .
Seeing the dramatic change in a patient once they had stabilised on their opioid substitute treatment or completed their medically assisted alcohol detox was extremely rewarding . Not only was there a change to their physical appearance , but their whole outlook on life and positivity towards the future .
I completed the non-medical prescribers ’ course in 2019 and started prescribing . I have enjoyed this new aspect to my role and the challenges it brings . I attend an inpatient detox twice a month to prescribe and gained a lot from working in a new environment with completely
different challenges to secure environments , focusing on my clinical skills – an area of my nursing I hope to keep developing .
As team leader of the service , I find that each day – each hour ! – is different . I can be prescribing one minute , offering clinical advice next , having a consultation with a patient or offering an intervention . I might then have a staffing or service issue that I need to look into , involving risk assessments , action plans and service improvements . Looking at the service and patient care and improving standards are a massive part of the role I play within the team .
The favourite parts of my job are my nursing / NMP role – spending time with clients , building a rapport , and getting to a place where you can have a laugh , be open and honest about their treatment , what they want and what is realistic . Talking is so important yet often underrated by services – I ’ m lucky enough to work for a company that realises how important the small things are and the huge impact they can have on a person ’ s recovery . Working in the prison environment can be quite
‘ I saw many changes including the patient group changing dramatically – they became younger , substance misuse became more prevalent .’
oppressive with its restrictions , but having a good team really makes your working day easier . Making a difference to patients is so rewarding , as are the challenges and problem-solving aspects of the job – from linking patients up with community support to transferring care from a secure setting to the community .
Nursing will throw many challenges at you and at times you will question if nursing is for you . But the positives outweigh any negatives and it ’ s such a rewarding job . DDN
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