Redcliffe Hospital Clinical Nurse Consultant (Mental Health) Angus Hannon with Nurse Practitioner Carolyn Tappenden
Queensland hospitals are beginning to welcome new specialist mental health nurses to their emergency departments (EDs), ensuring people experiencing mental health concerns receive more timely assessment, compassionate care, and connections to the most appropriate support.
A total of 53 specialist mental health nurses will join EDs across the state thanks to funding provided through the Mental Health Levy.
Redland, Redcliffe and Hervey Bay hospitals recently introduced the roles, and recruitment is now underway for Cairns, Nambour, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Caboolture hospitals.
More hospitals are also set to benefit from the new role in the coming months.
For people experiencing a mental health crisis, arriving at an ED can be confronting, however the new roles are already helping make the experience a more positive and seamless one for both patients and staff.
The specialist role helps bring together important information early, allowing staff to develop a plan tailored to each person.
At Redland Hospital, Emergency Mental Health Parallel Care Clinician Preety Game-Mtengezanwa works alongside ED staff and clinicians to make sure mental and physical health needs are considered together.
“The whole idea is to work alongside the ED staff, so the medical and mental health models are working in tandem,” Preety said.
"It is a role that embraces the physical health and the mental health altogether.
"As nurse practitioners, we are able to provide quick, safe assessments, provide or order tests, interpret results, create a treatment plan, and make decisions about admissions and discharges.
"I don't have to wait for a referral from the ED because I'm already there and can see what's going on. I use my professional clinical judgment to determine whether I can start an assessment, which minimises the time patients are left waiting."
While Preety has only been in the role for four weeks, she has already received positive feedback from senior doctors who have noticed a reduction in wait times for mental health patients in the ED.
“Every day is different depending on how many presentations we get. Consumers can often come in with complex needs, but even having those initial conversations – even just to say hello – tends to put people more at ease," Preety said.
"It’s safer for the consumer and outcomes are better, because they're seeing that something's been done, and hope is being instilled as they're moving forward through the process of ED and they can see that people have got them in mind."
At Redcliffe Hospital, nurse practitioner candidate Angus Hannon is also working alongside his ED team to provide timely assessment, triage and treatment for people presenting with mental health concerns.
After being surrounded by the warmth and compassion of nurses during a chemotherapy journey at age 20, Angus knew he wanted a career helping others – but it was during his first placement in nursing he realised his passion for mental health.
“Everyone's got a family or friend who's gone through a complex mental health crisis, and I wanted to be one of these people helping others through what could be their darkest day, and I want to deliver that care with genuine warmth and compassion," he said.
"I support patients through the ED by ensuring that they're listened to, respected, and that I'm doing it with empathy."
Importantly, the new specialist roles are not just about providing care during a person’s time in the ED, but also after they leave.
"We can ensure people are safely supported in the community, whether that's follow-up by our team, referral to appropriate services, or providing them information with the services that they can connect with themselves," Angus said.
“Nursing isn't about having all the answers, it's about being genuinely caring and compassionate enough to find the answers."
As more specialist mental health nurses join ED teams across Queensland, the initiative will help strengthen the connection between emergency care and ongoing mental health support for people and communities across the state.