Clare Hughes

Background

About Clare Hughes

I began my journey in mental health nursing in 2005 after completing an Honours Degree at Bangor University. I went on to work as a staff nurse in an acute mental health ward, which involved caring for patients aged between 16 and 65. Most of the patients under our care were experiencing acute episodes of a mental health condition and would be treated and cared for both medically and therapeutically. The role involved monitoring the effects of medication, developing care plans, managing the ward, spending time continuously assessing patients, and liaising with families and other professionals. After five years, I was keen to move on to a role where I could be around for my young family in the evening and at weekends. I began working as a substance misuse nurse. I attended several courses which provided me with the necessary skills to carry out the role of supporting my patients and their families. I remained in this role for over a year but did not feel the role was the right fit for me, so I began looking for something more challenging. I started working as a care homes liaison nurse in 2011 within an older persons community mental health team. I embraced the role, as it was possible to make a difference for the individuals under my care and do my utmost to support their carers and families. After three years, I was offered the psychiatric community hospital liaison role, which involved supporting nursing staff to provide the optimum care for patients experiencing mental health problems. The complex role allowed me to work autonomously with the psychiatrist's support. In 2015 I was allowed to be supported to complete the Independent Nurse Prescribing module, which enabled me to provide more prompt service to patients struggling with their mental health symptoms. In addition, as the only nurse prescriber in the community mental health team, I could assist with prescriptions when doctors have not been available in situations where medication is needed urgently. I felt the need to continue to develop my role further, and in 2019 I was offered the opportunity to commence the Advanced Clinical Practitioner MSc. I am now in the last few months of the course, completing the dissertation, and hoping to find a role where I can use all the valuable skills I have developed throughout my career. Unfortunately, no positions are available in the service I currently work in; however, I feel that the skills I have grown both in my career and life experience are transferable and have provided me with the ability to work effectively in any area of mental health.