Description

In this talk, Jasmine Snowden explores the vital role of mental health nursing in inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Drawing on her clinical and academic experience, Jasmine reflects on her journey through adult mental health, eating disorder services, and child and adolescent care, highlighting how these experiences have shaped her approach to practice and education. The talk focuses on the importance of mental health nursing in inpatient child and adolescent services, the potential impact of skill mix on the care of children and young people, and the gaps in the current literature. Jasmine discusses how restrictive practices, delayed discharges, and communication breakdowns can affect young people’s recovery, and why investing in a confident, well-supported nursing workforce is essential. She also outlines key differences between adult and child mental health care, including the legal frameworks, developmental needs, and family involvement, emphasizing the value of a psychosocial and recovery-focused model. Finally, Jasmine introduces her research interest in how skill mix influences care quality in CAMHS settings, pointing to the urgent need for more empirical data and better integration of staffing, patient experience, and incident reporting in mental health services.

Learning Objectives

A. To recognise the role of the mental health nurse in child and adolescent inpatient services from the speaker's lived experience. 

B. To identify the gaps in research regarding skill mix in child and adolescent inpatient services. 

C. To explore how skill mix may influence care quality and outcomes in child and adolescent inpatient mental health services.