I'm a Registered Mental Health Nurse with 16 years experience, starting out in general nursing, working in Neurology and Scrub Scout/Theatre, I decided to specialise in inpatient mental health and develop from ANUM to NUM. Currently I am the Psychiatric Nurse Consultant for the Royal Children's Hospital.

I have worked across numerous areas managing areas such as Adult inpatient and Child and Adolescent inpatient services. I have also held the role of Mental Health Nurse Advisor representing the Victorian Office of the Chief Mental Health Nurse.

My specialty areas of interest include: ward culture and milieu therapy in child and adolescent mental health settings, leadership and governance and international mental health programs. I have been fortunate to collaborate on various projects including The Victorian Mental Health Intensive Care Framework, Towards the Elimination of Restrictive Practices and Safewards.

I currently hold the position of Psychiatric Nurse Consultant at the Royal Children's Hospital. This role allows me to improve mental health literacy, advocacy and education across RCH. The role also has a strong leadership component, shaping ward culture and associated programs, coordinating the graduate and post graduate programs and supporting a new generation of mental health nurses.

Commencing my general nursing graduate year in 2009, I worked through Cardiology, Neurology and Scrub/Scout and eventually ventured into mental health nursing in the proceeding years. In between work and study I have volunteered in remote areas of North Sulawesi, Indonesia as a mental health coordinator, supporting the first community based mental health initiative in the region. Since this time I have completed Mindful's Developmental Psychiatry Course and am currently studying a masters in Advanced Nursing Practice - Leadership and Management.

I have a strong belief in the benefits of regular clinical supervision and development of positive professional engagement. My preferred modalities include Proctor's 3-function integrative model, Considine's role development model, and Driscoll's reflection model. I'm also interested in the creative tenants of psychodrama and the interplay of roles in practice, role reversal and analysis.