CFMHN National Conference: October 10th

Dee (Denise) Thomas – RPN, Indigenous Mental Health Consultant

What You Call a ‘Mental Illness’, I Call a Superpower!

Sharon Blady, BA, BFA, MA, PhD, Founder & Director of Speak Up: Mental Health Advocates Inc.

Fiona Smith, RPN, MN, Associate Professor, Brandon University, Winnipeg, MB; Brandy Pollard; Ashley Smith; Niki Field

Carers may simultaneously express willingness to care for transgender persons, while also experiencing discomfort beginning conversations about gender. This panel presentation promises to offer a provocative and interactive  discussion with members of the transgender community and registered psychiatric nurses with experience in transgender health care and research.

Cheryl Forchuk, RN, PhD, Principal Investigator, Lawson Health Research Institute – Mental Health Nursing
Research Alliance, London, ON

Innovative Housing First initiative aimed at reducing discharge from hospital to ‘No Fixed Address’. The intervention offers on-site hospital access to resources, streamlining housing and social support. This presentation will discuss the outcomes and lessons for implementation of this potential best practice strategy to break cycles of homelessness.

A2-B Advancing Patient-Oriented Research: Collaborating with Youth with Lived Experience to Improve Mental Health Nursing Research

Kristin Cleverley, RN, PhD, CPMHN(C), CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research at the University of Toronto and Clinician-Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON; Emma McCann

This presentation is relevant to mental health nurse leaders, researchers, faculty, nurses, and students who would like to understand how to utilize patient oriented research strategies to strengthen mental health nursing practice and research.

Tanya Park, RN, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing, Edmonton, AB; Kathy Hegadoren, RN, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB; Bernadette Workun, RN, Mental Health Clinician, Alberta Health Service, Edmonton, AB: Cybele Angel, RN, Graduate Student, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

People living with a mental illness who also require palliative care are not experiencing the same level of healthcare when compared to the general population. Despite the increasing focus on support when dying in Canada there remains a large gap in the experience for people with chronic persistent mental illness and their families. This paper presents the first step in understanding this disparity from the perspective of care providers.

A3-B Bridging the gap: Advocating for Palliative Care Best Practices for End-of-life Forensic Mental Health
Patients

Angelina Loumankis, RN, MN, CPMHN(C), Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing); Satinder Kaur, RN, MN, MEd, PhD, Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing); Rola Moghabghab, NP, PhD, GNC (C), Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing); Helen McGee, RN, MN, Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing); Edson Villareal RN, BScN, MScN, CPMHN (C), Nurse Educator; Shawn Lucas, RP, Manager of Spiritual Care Services; Kim Oseli RN, MN, Nurse Educator; Dr. Sarah Colman, MC, FRCPC, Psychiatrist (Geriatrics); Lorraine Schubert, RN, M.Ed, Senior Manager Operations and Practice, After-Hours, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON

Forensic mental health services may provide care for  patients, who remain in hospital for long periods of time and/or are unable to be discharged. As a result, those diagnosed with palliative/life limiting illnesses require extensive medical care and supports. An inter-professional working group was established to explore best practices to standardize care and propose recommendations that align with key organizational initiatives.

Pattie Pryma, RN, BSN, MEd, PhD, Associate Professor, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB

This project engaged nurse educators in exploration of self-care and well-being through the creative arts. Subsequently, we were able to rethink approaches to traditional professional development around self-care. By taking care of ourselves as educators we are better positioned to provide positive self-care role models to our students and enhance their understanding of caring for self within the profession.*Please note this is a one-hour session

Maneet Chahal, RN, BScN, MSc, Care Coordinator, Toronto Central LHIN, Toronto, ON; Janet Landeen, BScN, MEd, PhD; Jeanette Legris, RN, BN, MHSc, PhD; Ruta Valaitis, BScN, BA, MHSc, PhD; Olive Wahoush, RN, RSCN, MSc, PhD

The South Asian Punjabi community is one of the largest growing ethnic communities in Canada, yet little is known about their understanding of depression and experience of accessing mental health services for support. This qualitative study captures a glimpse of this community`s current experience of depression and the journey of getting help in Brampton, Ontario. Participants were empowered to share their story in Punjabi.

B2-B Empowering the South Asian Community – From the Ground Up

Jasmeet Chagger, RN, BScN, MSc(c), Registered Nurse, Co-Founder of Soch Mental Health, Soch Community Health Promotion Inc., Brampton, ON; Maneet Chahal, RN, BScN, MSc, Co-Founder of Soch Mental Health, Brampton, ON,

Soch Mental Health has empowered the South Asian community locally with mental health educational workshops as well as taken its efforts to a global platform through online social media initiatives as well as starting a South Asian mental health TV show that broadcasts across Canada, the US, and the UK. This storyboard workshop will share insights from the project and how to bring about community change through a cultural lens.

Margaret Gehrs, RN, MScN, CPMHN(C), Director of Interprofessional Practice; Kamini Kalia, RN, MScN, CPMHN(C), Manager of Inter-professional Practice and Education; Sarah Branton, RN, BScN, MScN, Manager of Inter-professional Practice and Education; Alison Watson, MN, RN, CPMHM(C), Manager; Zohra Surani, RN, BScN, CPMHN(C), COMPASS Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto ON

Staff nurse engagement in clinical quality initiatives is important in advancing mental health and addictions care. Systemic barriers prevent meaningful participation at planning tables and top-down decisions result in a disempowered nursing workforce. A nursing practice council was restructured to re-engage staff nurses by: 1) re-framing processes/structures to leverage their voices and leadership potential, and 2) mobilizing mentorship resources and management support.

B3-B Nursing School and Workplaces Re-imagined: Giving Voice to Foster Mental Well-being and Recovery

Carmen Hust, RN, MScN, PhD, Professor, Algonquin College, Ottawa, ON

This presentation will give voice to nursing students with mental health concerns in hope of rethinking our traditional approaches to nursing education and professional development and management. Innovative teaching strategies informed by the lived experience of nursing students with mental health concerns shared and competencies and policies critically questioned.

*Please note this is a one-hour session

Mary-Lou Martin, BScN, MScN, MEd, Clinincal Nurse Specialist, St. Joseph`s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON; Susan Strong, PhD, OT Reg. (Ont), Program Evaluator, St. Joseph`s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON,; Heather McNeely, PhD, Psych, Psychologist, St. Joseph`s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON; Lori Letts, PhD, OT Reg. (Ont), Professor, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON; Alycia Gillespie, MSW, RSW, Manager, Schizophrenia Out-Patient Program, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON

Self-management support is advocated as an effective intervention for engagement and building capacity within individuals and their families to actively manage the impact of illness and live healthier lives. The purpose of the study is to evaluate a self-management approach being embedded in a schizophrenia out-patient case management service.

C2-B The Experience of a Military RN

Captain Edward James (Jim) Quinn, CD, RN, MC, BNSc ,CPMHN(C)

This presentation will focus on the the unique perspectives of mental health nursing in the Canadian military. Insights will be shared by a military nurse who is a trained Psychotherapist, providing trauma-focused treatment with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Marlee Groening, RN, BSN, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC

Sexuality is a key component of the human condition and yet, it is largely ignored in mental health care. This is particularly true for individuals with serious and persistent mental health – a population that is vulnerable to higher rates of STI’s/HIV, sexual assault and exploitation than the general population, and negatively affected by distressing sexual side effects from the psychiatric medication. This presentation will discuss how a team took action to raise the practice skills of a tertiary mental health facility team to address the holistic needs of vulnerable clients with concurrent disorders, who were engaging in high risk sexual activities.

C3-B Culturally Safe Nursing Practice: Improving Healthcare Experiences for Indigenous Community Members

Cynthia Russell: RN, BSN, MN, CTE., Clinical Nurse Specialist, First Nations Health Authority, Vancouver, BC; Kirsten Ellingson: RN, BSN, MN, CPMHN(C), Clinical Nurse Specialist – Substance Use, First Nations Health Authority, Vancouver, BC

This presentation will showcase the results of literature reviews from two Masters of Nursing projects and best practices learned working as Clinical Nurse Specialists in an Indigenous Healthcare organization. Referring to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada recommendations, we will identify how a cultural safety and humility framework is a way of approaching nursing practice, healthcare advocacy and policy development in healthcare environments may result in effective and improved healthcare experiences for Indigenous communities.

Shelley Marchinko, RN, MN, Instructor II, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB; Jacqueline Robert, RN, BN Masters Student, Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB

Helping nursing students to learn about Autism Spectrum disorder in a classroom setting can be challenging. This presentation will describe the development and use of creative teaching strategies within a classroom setting to help students understand and learn about caring for individuals with Autism as practicing nurses.

D1-B Educating Registered Psychiatric Nurses: Tackling Associative Stigma from the Beginning

Candice Waddell, RPN, BScPN, MPN, PhD(c), Assistant Professor, Brandon University, Brandon, MB; Jan Marie Graham, RN, BN, MN, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Studies, Brandon University, Brandon, MB; Katherine Pachkowski, RPN, BScPN, MSc, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Studies, Brandon University, Brandon, MB; Heather Friesen, BA, MBA, Ed.D, Director Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Stigma affects the perception that other health professionals have of psychiatric nurses as well as how psychiatric nurses view their own practice. Reducing associative stigma in psychiatric nursing students is a challenge that this presentation tackles through secondary analysis of original research and the available literature.

Rola Moghabghab, NP, PhD, GNC(C), Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON; Margaret Gehrs RN, MScN, CPMHN(C), Director, Inter-professional Practice, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON

Falls are an important safety concern, yet fall prevention strategies can be overlooked in mental health and addictions facilities. This presentation will describe one organization’s falls prevention and management strategy adapted to address populations at risk: the elderly, individuals taking psychoactive medications or using substances, and those with multiple comorbidities.

D2-B The Role of Mental Health Nurses in the Assessment and Management of Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional Post-Concussion Symptoms

Julia Davies, RN, BSc, BScN, Registered Nurse, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON; Kristin Cleverley, RN, PhD, CPMHN(C), CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research at the University of Toronto and Clinician-Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON

Despite the link between concussions and mental health disorders, the role of mental health nurses in the assessment and management of post-concussion symptoms has not been explored. Best practices are reviewed to identify the role of mental health nurses in promoting positive mental health outcomes for their patients with concussion.

D3-B The Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Protocol called “Safe Environment for All” Designed to Enhance Client and Staff Safety on a Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

Kathryn Ryan, RN, MSc(N), Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Nursing), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON; Gillian Strudwick RN, PhD, Clinician Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON; Iman Kassam BSc, Research Assistant, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON

This presentation describes a quality improvement project aimed at reducing adverse events on an inpatient rehabilitation unit providing care to clients with challenging behaviours. A safety protocol was developed, implemented and evaluated. The evaluation included eliciting client and family perspectives to inform next steps.