Česky
How did you get into psychiatric nursing?
Completely by accident. I've always been attracted to jobs that have some adrenaline and a challenge. I was a student, talking to a friend who worked in psychiatry, and why didn't I go work for them? I was surprised - little, tiny me, that I could go and work in psychiatry? I didn't believe it myself. To my surprise, I was accepted. I found myself in potentially the most demanding ward for a nurse, namely the acute admissions ward for men. There are two sections: the intensive section is for people under constant supervision, the standard section is for people who are already stable. And there was a second surprise - I was excited about working in psychiatry. I was glad that there were enough men working in psychiatry, which I consider a benefit in health care. It's also a necessity for psychiatry. The situations are exceptional, but safety is the first thing to think about. Both for the staff and the patients. I gradually fell in love with psychiatry and decided to become a specialist in the field. I completed a master's program in addiction treatment, a psychiatric specialization and another master's program in psychiatric nursing.
What are the biggest stereotypes around working in psychiatry?
For example, that there are lunatics locked up in wards who are not allowed out but need to be isolated from others, that they are the people we should be afraid of. That is a complete misconception. People with any kind of psychiatric diagnosis or just any kind of mental health fluctuation are people like all of us who feel healthy right now. Many of us don't acknowledge that mental illness could affect them. But almost all of us have or will encounter it personally or in someone close to us. I've been through mine too, going through obsessive-compulsive disorder and suffering from burnout syndrome. I made it through with the help of psychotherapy and because now mental health is a priority for me. Mental illness doesn't make anyone a worse person or someone who can't live and work normally. The most important thing is to not be afraid to talk about your problems and not be afraid to seek help.
"The most important thing is not to be afraid to talk about your problems and seek help."
Is there a problem with environmental standards in psychiatric care in general?
Czech psychiatric care has long been underfunded, but most countries are struggling. Unfortunately, this means that the facilities and especially the rooms are not up to 21st century standards of health care. But why should psychiatry, the care of the mind, lag behind care for the heart or fractures? Rooms tend to be a problem - they are designed for more than four patients. In my practice, I have encountered a room that had eight beds as standard, and one ward even had fourteen beds in one large room. This is a big challenge for care and recovery. Personally, I think it is even unacceptable and unethical.
What is another important requirement for quality and effective care?
The most important thing is that the staff feel good and find their work meaningful. This can be helped in particular by having enough qualified staff who, among other things, enjoy passing on their knowledge to less experienced colleagues. It is important that the healthcare team is multidisciplinary and that no one's word is taken lightly. Everyone must have mastered professionalism and expertise. The team I envision is also balanced, with enough men on staff for exceptional challenging situations. We will also support regular training so that it is really useful to the staff and relates specifically to their expertise. We will have regular supervisions and interviews within the team. We aim for the best quality of care staffing so that staff have enough time and space to work with patients.
What is your own approach to mental health and mental hygiene?
I am very happy to be asked this question. I haven't had the best time professionally in recent years. I always thought it was okay to skin myself for success and money, to tear myself apart for patients, to have three jobs at once, to find meaning in life... I now know that was wrong and that everything takes time. In my previous job I went through burnout syndrome, in which I almost reached the last stage. I suffered from depression, major anxiety slumps, I stopped enjoying hobbies I always had before, I even threw up before work and cried all day before going on night duty. However, on duty I left nothing behind and once again gave myself fully and wholeheartedly to the patients. I was forgetting myself and my mental health. I realised that it was terribly important for a staff member to know who to turn to. For nurses, that would be their station nurse, among others. I believe that through my personal experience I will also be able to create a safe environment for my colleagues. This is one of the most important tasks I want to focus on in my role at CDR.
What are the biggest draws of working at CDR for you? What do you hope to get out of it?
CDR is a unique project and will bring completely different standards than the existing psychiatry in the Czech Republic. We are creating something new. We will treat every person, and I stress that we will treat both patients and staff in an individual way. We are creating a space, care and working environment that allows us to listen to people. We are interested in life stories and experiences. If you are a person who has your own opinion, enjoys the field of psychiatry and wants to help people in the best way possible, then you are the person we are looking for. If you have ideas on how to improve care for people with mental illness, how to destigmatise the mental health field, join our team. We'll work on this together. We want psychiatry to be different, we want it to be human. We want everyone to feel that they are important and that their work is meaningful. My personal promise from working in CDR is that we will create a family atmosphere together, listen to each other and respect each other.
"An important benefit of the Center for Mental Rehabilitation will be a pleasant working environment."
How will CDR be different and better from the staff's point of view?
It will be, without exaggeration, a beautiful environment with the most modern equipment on the market. It's a unique new building. The whole thing is designed to be healing. The lighting is set according to circadian rhythms, thus ensuring healthy light for staff and patients. It basically simulates a sufficient supply of light, almost as if one were in natural light outside. Leaving aside material issues, our team is particularly concerned that the CDR is well staffed. We are aware of the risks that exist in psychiatry, and we strive to ensure that there are sufficient staff on each shift. The main thing is that my team feel safe at work. I myself want to create training programmes for my team, for example, on psychoeducation, psychiatric rehabilitation, de-escalation techniques or community care. In addition, we are working to create specialty training opportunities for psychiatric nurses right here at CDR.
What kind of people would you like to have around you at work?
I would love to put together a team where we are comfortable and trust each other, while not being afraid to talk about the issues that are bothering us, whatever they may be, even if it's about being annoyed with our supervisor or a patient. I want my employees to know that they are in an environment where their supervisors care about them and don't want to leave them alone in their troubles. I know that for almost every problem there is a solution, and if not, it is always better not to be alone on it, but at least to share it. I wish to surround myself with people interested in the field of psychiatry, interested in the human soul, interested in continuing education. Warm-hearted people who are not afraid to help with words, but who are also well aware that words can also hurt a person, and they will try to avoid that in all cases. I would like to consistently communicate any problems or personnel issues in frequent interviews or supervision. I want our team to be transparent. My desire is to surround myself with experienced professionals, but also to give room to early career people who want to move up and improve in their profession. Just people who are interested in making psychiatry a better field - a field where we really help people.
