Being Inspiration Vs Doing Inspiration – Questions for the future

Susan Lipscombe, Ms Catherine Schofield

Being seen as inspirational often requires us to develop a level of self-awareness and insight into our own behavior that can be uncomfortable. In the context of mental health for example an area requiring more inspiration is cigarette smoking cessation.

How, as nurses, can we inspire when we are still caught up in our own addictive patterns such as nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and even binge watching Netflix.

What do our consumers expect of us as?

How do professional standards help in this regard?

Does the Peer Worker provide a level of inspiration and hope unavailable to nurses?

Both Susan and Cat have been involved in Mental Health service delivery for a number of years, which for both has been rewarding and challenging.  In reflecting on that time socially and professionally, much has changed and most of it for good but we can still do better.

What might need to be changed/challenged in order to for nurses to become what is required for the future of care delivery?

Does being inspirational require us to BE more than DO; born from a place of lived experience, acceptance of our unhealthy behaviour and commitment to change? And might part of the answer lie in listening more intently to the voice of lived experience?

Susan and Cat will present their different perspectives on where they see the inspiration for mental health nursing and care can be found for the future, sharing the synergies and challenges in their respective visons.


Biography:

Susan Lipscombe was diagnosed with schizophrenia-question-mark in the year 2000, with schizoaffective disorder being settled on at a later stage.  She currently works as a Consumer Representative with Flourish Mental Health Action in our Hands (Flourish).  Her personal inspiration when representing consumers is to consider first how she would represent the Queen of England and then follow that. She has worked in Aged Care and in this role developed her compassion for the other side of nursing along with the resolve to do more for the elderly and all vulnerable people in our society.

Cat Schofield has worked as a nurse for nearly 40 years, mainly in the area of Mental Health and has been committed to promoting Practice Development since 2006.  Cat has held a number of positions including as the Manager of the Wilfred Lopes Centre and as a practitioner member of the NMBA at the State level and currently at the National level.