Celebrating International Nurses Day 2024: A Thank You to Our Nurses!
As we commemorate International Nurses Day this year, we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of nurses in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). These nurses play a vital role in supporting the well-being and mental health of children and young people, often in challenging and complex circumstances.
In CAMHS, nurses are not only caregivers but also advocates, educators, and sources of comfort for both service users, their families and carers. They provide essential mental health care services, helping young people navigate through difficult emotions, cope with challenges, and develop resilience.
This year, we wanted to do something special to show our appreciation. We encouraged our CAMHS staff members to take a moment to say thank you to a CAMHS based nurse who has made a difference in their lives or the lives of others.
The response was overwhelming, with heartfelt messages pouring in from across the directorate. We hope these messages of gratitude not only warm the hearts of our nurses but also served as a reminder of the impact they have on the lives of patients, families, and colleagues alike. Happy International Nurses Day to all our incredible nurses. Here’s to celebrating you today and every day.
Read all the messages below:
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Mike Brodie – Lambeth CAMHS
“I want to shout out Mike, our amazing Children’s Nurse who has a long history working in Lambeth CAMHS. Mike has worked within many teams in Lambeth CAMHS over the years and is currently the Clinical Service Lead for our Lighthouse (front door) team.
Mike is always on hand to offer time, guidance, help and support to our young people parents and carers as well as his colleagues. His hard work and dedication has assisted Lambeth with consistently reaching the contact within 28 days target. His is a compassionate and caring nurse. Lambeth CAMHS wouldn’t be the same without him. Thanks Mike Happy International Nurses Day!
Charlotte Chesson – Bethlem Adolescent Unit (BAU)
“I would like to nominate Charlotte Chesson because she is kind, caring, always so calm and chilled, very popular with the young people. Not long after I started my role I remember walking past a young person’s bedroom, Charlotte was in there with her stroking her hand whilst she was sleeping. It was evident how much Charlotte cared and that memory has stayed with me.”
– Ward Social Worker
“Charlotte defo needs celebrating!!! Charlotte is always bringing a calm and empathic approach to the ward, incredibly organised and great at delegating and ensuring the team gets things done, despite being busy is very present with the young people and it’s clear to see she has built good rapport with many of the young people.”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
Paul Hunt
“Very dedicated to his role across all his years at CAMHS. Always keeps his calm even in crisis situations with our young people.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Natalie Gagg – Bethlem Adolescent Unit (BAU)
“Natalie has the perfect balance of being firm but fair, very funny, certainly has a connection / very popular with the young people who she knows really well. She’s very committed, always happy and upbeat and brings a positive vibe/her whole self when she is on shift on the ward.”
– Ward Social Worker
“Such a wonderful nurse! So caring, kind, hardworking and all knowing! Her ability to juggle everything that is going on and hold everyone in mind is amazing. Hearing her laugh brightens up my day.”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
“I think Natalie has to be the most passionate Nurse on BAU. She has huge amounts of empathy towards the young people that they respond well to and has a strong work ethic that demands everyone to work at their best which is what you want and need in an inpatient environment. She is incredibly bubbly, and this rubs off on other people around her. We need more Natalies!”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
Gillene Thomas
“Calm and controlled, champions our international nurses wherever possible and is supportive to colleagues.”
Amanda Broughton
“You are a confident, experienced and a skilled leader who inspires our newer nurses everyday – thank you for your dry sense of humour too!”
Jide Akintomide
“Jide is Jide and I am thankful for his containment, support and trust throughout the years.“
Nina Hammond – Snowsfields Adolescent Unit & Southwark CAMHS
“Skilled and knowledgeable beyond her years. Will say ‘yes’ to anyone asking for some help and has an anecdote for every scenario.”
“Thank you Nina. Your commitment to our young people and staff is amazing. You bring your lovely personality and passion to everything you do, making a positive impact on those around you. Your dedication does not go unnoticed, and I am grateful for all that you do.”
Amy-Rose Olah
“She always makes space even though she is always very busy, juggling several issues. She is quick to think and gives thoughtful answers when there may be issues that come up. She is supportive of the young people and the therapies. She knows her ward so well. She is kind, gentle and firm at the same time which again I can see that these are qualities that young people respond so well too.”
– Ward Art Psychotherapist
David Condon – CAMHS Community Matron
“Kind, experienced, proactive, thoughtful and helpful – what more do you want from a senior nurse?”
Jacob Rolling
“Making his mark already in the team, passionate, creative and bakes!”
Latoya Morgan – Lewisham CAMHS
“Shout out also to Latoya for all that she does, under the radar a lot of the time, for NDT!”
Lee Wadsworth
“Our in house Reducing Restrictive Practice expert, thank you for championing youth and parent involvement in this sensitive work.”
Holly Dawson
“I would like to give a shout-out to Holly Dawson from Symbol Team:
Holly’s dedication to supporting young people and their carers is evident every day as she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure their well-being. She concerns herself not only with the individuals directly under her care but also with other clients and, notably, our team. She consistently strives to improve teamwork and thinks of ways to support everyone surrounding her.
Working alongside Holly is a pleasure, as her passion for her work and dedication characterise her. We are truly grateful for the impact she makes within the team. Thank you, Holly, for your invaluable contributions.”
Femi Lawal
“Thank you for being so diligent in your care for young people and an example to all.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Janet Millanaise-Taylor
“Janet has such a lovely calming way about her, I think that she demonstrates compassionate care in both her interactions with the young people and also how she speaks about them in handover to MDT.”
– Ward Occupational Therapy Apprentice
Joely Horner
“Flourished in her new role as RMN and always advocates for the young people. Her baked cookies are also 10/10!.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Olivia Akenzua
“I wanted to nominate Olivia, she is so quick off the mark with every aspect of her work. Very organised and so brilliant with each of the young people. She knows everything about all of them and her hard work is clear.”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
Kerry Gribble – Croydon CAMHS
“A big shout out to Kerry , who is so passionate about being physical health lead in Croydon CAMHS and always has a smile on her face – we appreciate you Kerry!!”
Letisha Spencer
“Letisha is new, but she has hit the ground running, feels like she has been part of the team for ages. She is warm and uses her sense of humour to connect with the young people. She has taken initiative and empowered the young people to take some responsibility whilst they are on the ward in the form of corridor reps. Generally she works very hard and deserves a shout out”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
Georgia Reed
“Amazing nurse who cares about staff as well as young people. Very good at boundary setting. Lights up the room with her fun presence!”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Nicola Jenkin – Lewisham CAMHS
“She works tirelessly, she is extremely knowledgeable and willing to spend time discussing issues and sharing that knowledge. Nicola really embodies ‘grace under fire’ as she remains consistent, warm and cheerful in spite of any pressure.”
“Nicola deserves all this love and appreciation!“
“Nicola is an extremely hard working and empathetic colleague and a professional for the service users. She is professional, supportive and friendly, a great colleague to have!”
“Nicola goes above and beyond for patients, families and her colleagues. She is always available for advice and support and I am proud to be able to nominate such a wonderful role model.”
“Nicola, who works tirelessly to help yp and families and a great colleague to work with!” 🙂
“She regularly goes above and beyond for her families. She is selflessly committed to their welfare. Added to this she a thoughtful and supportive colleague who generously shares her thinking and knowledge.”
“I have worked with Nicola since she started within CAMHS, and she has always had a welcoming approach. Nicola is also there when you want help and make sure her team members are okay. Nicola works extremely hard.”
“Nicola has been amazing in her role as a nurse for Lewisham CAMHS, we could not function without her!”
“I would also like to express my gratitude to Nicola. She has been really welcoming and wonderful to work with. She takes time out of her very busy schedule to make sure other members of the team are doing okay. She’s extremely hard working and kind. In my very limited time here it’s been a very pleasant experience to interact and work with her.”
“Nicola’s long service and dedication to Lewisham CAMHS, not only in a therapeutic capacity but with her specialist prescribing skills and even a period leading our safeguarding make her a worthy candidate for a shout out. Along with our other wonderful nurses we really appreciate her!” 💐
“Nicola has been tirelessly supporting families with ADHD in Lewisham for years. Nicola is patient, kind and resilient when being asked to do more than she can. She is compassionate and works very hard to make sure no one is forgotten. She tries hard to be flexible to accommodate people who need prioritising due to risk. Thank you Nicola!!”
“I have a term to sum up Nicola…An absolute STAR!!! She’s very diligent, dedicated and goes above and beyond for not only our service users, but her colleagues.
She’ll happily help anyone navigate this service. A real representative of our Trust Values…Kindness, Respect & Together
Nicola, we salute you beyond Nurses Day, thank you!” 😊
Isabella Awilo
“Always tries to find the time to have 1:1 engagement with the young people even on a busy shift.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Fran Lada
“A big shoutout to Fran, for all the amazing work, dedication, and thoughtful care she provides to the Hope Project, and the children and families she supports. We really appreciate it, thanks Fran!”
– Clinical Psychologist Southwark CAMHS
Ziza Godji
“Her experience and expertise always makes the staff and ward feel safe and managed well.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Catherine Olaseinde
“Her calming presence makes staff and young people warm to her on shift.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Charlotte Bates
“She is so knowledgeable about every aspect of running the ward and all the young person. She is caring and fair with her decision making and doesn’t get angry when I ask her lots of annoying questions! You can really see the hard work she puts into ever shift and how this really helps the team. Her psychology knowledge can also really add to MDT discussions and help her when implementing the DBT approach we have adopted on the ward.”
– Ward Trainee Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioner
Bethlem Adolescent Unit (BAU) Nurses
“Can I give a shout out to all the nurses at BAU, for always staying calm and always carrying on. I’m forever amazed by how they continue to find creative ways to support young people, even when there are stressful things happening on the ward.”
– Ward Family Therapist
Victor Coker
“Goes the extra mile for staff wellbeing i.e. birthday cakes!”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Patricia Onyike
“Rain or shine she always greets the young people, families and staff with a smile.”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
Mary Lansana
“Despite being a new addition to the team (PICU ward), her senior presence ensures the shift runs as smooth as possible. She is a role model for all!”
– Ward Assistant Psychologist
“Mary was the first person who welcome me to SAU, 20 years ago on my first day on the ward. She has the gift in making you feel heard, listened to and make your work feel valued even when she is juggling a busy ward.
She is gentle, consistent in her approach, calm for the young people but able to put firm containing boundaries. She always has a smile even at her most stress personally or professionally. She has been a great source of warmth and support to all of us at SAU and particularly the young people and their families too. I certainly miss her loads. She makes you feel you belong!”
– Ward Art Psychotherapist