Today, on Mental Health Nurses Day, I want to share my journey, how I found my calling, what inspires me, and why, after 17 years, I’m still loving what I do.

 

How it all began

My journey into mental health nursing started when I was 18 in Trinidad and Tobago. I enrolled in what I believed was a training apprenticeship but discovered it was a three-year mental health nursing programme. My first rotation frightened me, I was scared and I requested to transfer to general nursing, but my principal refused.

He told me “You have exactly what it takes to become one of the best Mental Health Nurses.”

He saw compassion in me that I wasn’t brave enough to recognise in myself. So I stayed and over time, I fell in love with the work. I realised I had the natural ability to de-escalate a situation simply through presence, calmness and connection. I learned to build therapeutic relationships from the very first moment I met someone. I don’t see illness, I see the person and once you see the person everything changes.

 

Coming to Elysium and finding a home

In 2020 I moved to the UK and joined Elysium as part of the internationally trained nurses programme. I started as a Staff Nurse and, over the past few years, I’ve grown into my current Charge Nurse role.

Elysium has supported me more than I can express. I’ve been given opportunities to specialise from autism services to neurological behaviour support, and I’ve worked closely with our Learning & Development team.

Most importantly, Elysium supported me in completing my bachelor’s degree in Mental Health Nursing, I did this while working full‑time nights and raising my children as a single mum. I’m now on my final module, due in just a few days. It has been tough, but incredibly worth it.

St Mary’s has truly become home.

 

Life on nights

I primarily work night shifts. As a single parent, nights give me the structure I need, and after so many years, it has become my rhythm.

Nights are unpredictable. You can start calmly and within minutes the ward is completely different. Many admissions come through at night, and there’s a huge amount of detailed work that goes into accepting and settling someone safely onto the ward.

But no matter how busy it is, I always try to sit with my patients and share a laugh. Even five minutes of connection can change the atmosphere entirely. Some of them knock on the office door before bed, just to check in. That always makes me smile.

 

 

What I love most about this work

The most meaningful part of mental health nursing is witnessing people transform, arriving acutely unwell, receiving the care and treatment they need, and eventually returning to their lives.

It’s that journey from illness to wellness that brings me fulfilment every single time.

I love seeing someone given the chance to start again. Sometimes with support, sometimes independently, but always with dignity.

 

Challenging stigma

One thing I wish society understood is that not all people with mental illness are aggressive or dangerous. Many cannot control their emotions or experiences because their illness affects every aspect of who they are.

Mental illness should be approached with dignity. If someone began hearing voices today, commanding them to hurt themselves or others, imagine how terrifying that would be. When I think about that, compassion becomes instinctive.

 

Supporting each other as colleagues

Mental health nursing is rewarding but emotionally heavy.  I’ve seen colleagues struggle, and I’ve experienced moments myself where I had to remember that I am a human being, too.  We must remember ourselves while giving so much of ourselves.

We support each other by offering safe, confidential spaces to talk, to reflect, and decompress without judgement.  And of course, by sharing food. I’m Caribbean, I love to cook.

 

Looking after myself

Outside of work, my self‑care is simple but sacred: my hair care, my skincare, my journalling, and my photography. I love photographing flowers and people, especially candid moments when no one is posing, I’ve bought all the equipment, and I’m now finally learning to use it properly.

 

My passion for learning and developing others

I’m incredibly passionate about learning and development.  I have completed the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) training programme here at St Mary’s, I believe that knowledge builds skill, and skill leads to better patient care.

There are brilliant Nurses who simply lack the “why” behind a task. Once they have that understanding, everything clicks, and they grow so quickly. Helping others grow in their practice is something I hope to do more in the future.

 

A message for Mental Health Nurses Day

If I could give one message to my fellow Mental Health Nurses, it would be this:

Remember yourself, while giving so much of yourself.

We’re experts at guiding others through self-care but often forget to use that knowledge for ourselves.

 

My advice to future Mental Health Nurses

If you’re passionate about mental health, go for it. This profession brings immense joy and purpose, even on the hardest days.

I planned to stay in mental health nursing for five years, this year marks 17, and I wouldn’t change a thing!