Welcome to the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Education and Support page.
There will be:
The NIC of this area will allocate breaks prior to the shift commencing to ensure all staff get a tea break and their allocated 30 minute meal break for their shift.
Not always. Nursing Staff within the BAU can be flexed to care for a patient who is made involuntary or if patient and staff safety is a concern (example: 1 nurse for 3 patients, 1 nurse for a mechanically restrained patient).
The number of nurses allocated to this space allows for this with 4 nursing staff allocated when the 4 BAU beds and 1 BAR rooms are in use. Patients who require mechanical restraint must have 1:1 nursing care at all times, in line with the Mental Health Act. (See QRG Use of Type 1 Mechanical Restraints – Flowcharts in Appendix).
If a patient requires regular vital signs, then a portable monitor is available within the BAU to provide this. As always, an ABCDE nursing assessment at the commencement of a shift or when a patient arrives in the BAU is the expected standard.
Each patient within the BAU is allocated a doctor, this person should be your first point of contact. The Resus Consultant is also a point of contact if you are concerned at any time.
Yes, all staff working within the BAU will be allocated a personal duress alarm in addition to the fixed duress located in the staff base.
This is the same response as you would expect if this was to occur in the cubicle space. Firstly, DRSABCD – assess for any dangers to yourself, check if the patient is responsive, if no – call for help.
The first responder will remain with the patient. Additional staff that arrive will have access to the services panel (oxygen and suction) behind the roller door in each cubicle. Additionally all staff working in the BAU will also have a key to the services panel. In the event of a delay to accessing this, a responder trolley located in the staff base will also have portable oxygen and suction attached.
Yes – all staff will be able to exit via the BAU lounge which leads to the corridor next to ultrasound.
The NIC in the unit will have an iPhone allocated to them to communicate between the main department and resus. There are 2 additional portable (DECT) phones in the unit – these can be allocated to the BAU and BAR Nurses as required.
*Update and message to all staff* This program of education, resources and training was run over the month of Febrary, 2022. This page was used to cataloging and link all staff resources here in one place for your ongoing access.
Below you’ll find resource categories for each week, including Policy, Procedure, Guidelines (PPGs), Quick Reference Guides (QRGs), Forms, Videos, Webinars and WeLearn Modules.
Have you shared your voice? Education and Learning have developed this anonymous, six-question survey to understand how confident you feel in your mental health and AOD care skills and knowledge.
We thank you for this feedback, which will be used to inform future training and support for ED staff.
Please note this is a pre-program survey. If you’re responding after engaging in this month’s learning, think about how you would have responded previously.
Thank you for your engagement with our five week program of promotion, education and training to support your care of patients who present to our Emergency Departments with mental health and/or AOD care needs.
Please complete this anonymous, seven-question survey to understand how confident you feel in your mental health and AOD care skills and knowledge, following our Education Month program.
This will be used in conjunction with the staff Pre-Survey to inform your future training and support.
The following education courses have been developed on WeLearn for your learning:
These courses owe their development to ED staff feedback, and reflect the shared efforts of the CL Nurse Psychiatry Team, Drug Health Services, ED Leadership and our mental health partners Northwest Mental Health and Mercy Mental Health.
Courses can be completed at your own pace. Each week of Mental Health and AOD Education Month will highlight one or more of these modules, chosen to compliment that week’s topic.
If these courses aren’t already in your “My Learning” on WeLearn, you can search these in the catalogue and select “Enrol”.
This week is all about understanding where and how the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) applies to patients in your care, particularly its impacts to consent. In the Emergency Department, you will come across patients being assessed or treated on a Compulsory Order under the Act. The Act also sets out patient rights and safeguards that you may need to communicate to patients and their support persons. Upholding patient rights supports our best practice principles of ED patient care.
Lined Up For You:
Consultation Liaison (CL) Psychiatry and Emergency Mental Health (EMH) Service
Refer to this procedure for an overview of the specialist services that support mental health care in our EDs, and how to access these. Services include EMH at Sunshine, and ECATT at Footscray.
This week’s webinar panel includes Malcolm Valdez, Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) with Northwestern Mental Health.
Malcolm is presenting this week on how the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) applies to the work you do in ED. There will be live Q&A following the presentation, so please join the conversation!
Webinars are every Thursday from 2:00pm, for 45-60 minutes. If you are unable to attend live, check back here afterwards for a recording.
*UPDATE* Please click below to view this webinar recording:
This week’s topic ties closely with Module 1 – Introduction to Mental Health – Legal and Ethical Frameworks from the Foundations of Emergency Department Mental Health Care Training Package.
Tip: Search “Foundations” in WeLearn’s courses catalogue.
Login to WeLearn here.
The below short video presentations promote a series of key messages that support this week’s topic.
In our first video, Dr Gary Ayton, Director of ED at Sunshine Hospital, discusses Assessment Orders and s351 of the Mental Health Act 2014.
Video 2: Here Malcolm Valdez, Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) with Northwestern Mental Health, provides an overview of Temporary Treatment Orders.
In this final Week 1 video, Malcolm Valdez, CNC with Northwestern Mental Health, discusses the important subject of Patient Rights and Protections.
Throughout an episode of restraint use, all staff have particular clinical and administrative responsibilities that are important to understand to maintain appropriate patient care. In addition, Western Health is committed to minimising the use of mechanical restraints, and getting these steps right can help mitigate the duration of restraint use.
Lined Up For You:
Mechanical Restraint, Assessment and Application (Patients)
This procedure applies to mechanical restraint use across all of Western Health. It explains what is and is not considered restraint, and details the steps involved in mechanical restraint use, from a legal and organisational perspective.
*NEW* Quick Reference Guide – Use of Type 1 Mechanical Restraints
This staff QRG has been developed to be ED-specific, where the most common restrictive intervention used are Type 1 mechanical restraints. Please refer to this new resource for advice on alternative strategies to minimise restraint use and an explanation of staff roles and responsibilities.
This QRG also includes detailed process flowcharts to help you navigate the legal and organisational requirements of administering Type 1 Mechanical Restraints, including all documentation.
In this week’s webinar, our panellists will go through the Use of Restrictive Interventions in depth, as it applies to ED. There will be live Q&A following the presentation, so please join the conversation!
Webinars are every Thursday from 2:00pm, for 45-60 minutes. If you are unable to attend live, check back here afterwards for a recording.
*UPDATE* Please click below to view this webinar recording:
This week’s topic ties closely with Module 5 – Principles of Restrictive Interventions from the Foundations of Emergency Department Mental Health Care Training Package.
Separate versions of this module have been developed based on staff roles and responsibilities – please select the course that applies to you between Nursing and Medical.
Tip: Search “Foundations” in WeLearn’s courses catalogue.
Login to WeLearn here.
The below short video presentations promote key messages that support this week’s topic.
In our first video, Dr Gary Ayton, Director of ED at Sunshine Hospital, provides a Mechanical Restraints Overview at this applies to Western Health Emergency Departments.
Our second and last Week 2 video, is presented by Chris Poropat, Quality and Safety ANUM at Sunshine ED. Chris discusses nursing and medical staff roles and responsibilities on the subject of mechanical restraint use.
Our focus for the next two weeks is best practice care, starting this week with principles and standards that support effective and safe care of patients with mental health care needs. This includes the principle of least restrictive care, and care standards for patient engagement, observation and review set out in new Western Health Guidelines.
Lined Up For You:
*NEW* Medical Transfer Form
To enhance patient experience during handover from ED to Mental Health Inpatient Units, this week also marks the launch of the AD 57.4 Acute Mental Health Admission – Safe Medical Transfer List (Medical Transfer Form) for trial use across Western Health Emergency Departments. Please speak to your Operations Managers, ED Directors and Nurse Unit Managers if you have any questions about this form.
Provision of Mental Health Care in Western Health Footscray and Sunshine Emergency Departments
These Western Health Guidelines apply to Footscray and Sunshine EDs, and expand upon our existing best practice principles of ED patient care. Of note, these introduce new care standards for patients with a stay in ED longer than six hours.
This staff guide summarises the above Guidelines, as well as complimentary Best Practice Guidelines on patients with AOD care needs. This summary includes engaging families and carers, patient care standards, patient discharge and patient documentation.
Quick Reference Guide – Services Supporting Mental Health Care in Emergency Departments
This staff guide describes the specialist services supporting mental health patient care at Footscray and Sunshine ED. Instructions for making referrals are included.
*NEW* AD 57.4 Acute Mental Health Admission – Safe Medical Transfer list
From this week, for a trial period, we ask that all patient transfers from ED to Mental Health Inpatient Units have this Medical Transfer Form completed.
Please keep the original and send a photocopy with the patient’s file. Let the ED Leadership Team know if you have questions.
This week’s webinar panel includes Kathleen Kelly, Senior Mental Health Nurse (MWAMHS).
Webinars are every Thursday from 2:00pm, for 45-60 minutes. If you are unable to attend live, check back here afterwards for a recording.
*UPDATE* Please click below to view this webinar recording:
This week’s topic ties closely with Module 2 – Patient Engagement and Recognising Deterioration in Mental State (Part 1) from the Foundations of Emergency Department Mental Health Care Training Package.
Tip: Search “Foundations” in WeLearn’s courses catalogue.
Login to WeLearn here.
The below short video presentations promote a series of key messages that support this week’s topic.
In our first video, Pallavi Pathak, Clinical Nurse Educator for Mental Health at Sunshine ED, discusses strategies for engaging with patients with mental health care needs.
Video 2: Here Louise Cooke, Nurse Unit Manager at Sunshine ED, discusses safe and effective bedside care for patients with mental health care needs.
In this final Week 3 video, Daiv Lown, Emergency Physician at Sunshine, discusses Medical Reviews and Patient Discharge.
This week brings a focus to best practice care of patients with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) care needs. This includes the importance of early screening, and practicing an approach of harm reduction. Operational guidance is included in new Western Health Guidelines, including principles and care standards for patient review, observation and engagement.
Lined Up For You:
Provision of AOD Care in Western Health Footscray and Sunshine Emergency Departments
These Western Health Guidelines apply to Footscray and Sunshine EDs, and expand upon our existing best practice principles of ED patient care. Of note, these introduce new care standards for patients with a stay in ED longer than six hours.
This staff guide summarises the above Guidelines, as well as complimentary Best Practice Guidelines on patients with mental health care needs. This summary includes engaging families and carers, patient care standards, patient discharge and patient documentation.
Quick Reference Guide – Services Supporting AOD Care in Emergency Departments
This staff guide describes the specialist services supporting care of patients with AOD care needs at Footscray and Sunshine ED. Instructions for making referrals are included.
This week’s webinar panel includes Addiction Medicine Registrar Paul Maccartney, and Addiction Medicine CNC Thomas Jones, with Drug Health Services.
Webinars are every Thursday from 2:00pm, for 45-60 minutes. If you are unable to attend live, check back here afterwards for a recording.
*UPDATE* Please click below to view this webinar recording:
This week’s topic is supported by the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) WeLearn course (estimated completion time 1-2 hours), developed for all ED nursing staff.
The course includes the following modules, for completion at your own pace:
Tip: Search “AOD” in WeLearn’s courses catalogue.
Login to WeLearn here.
The below short video presentations promote a series of key messages that support this week’s topic.
In our first video, Thomas Jones, Clinical Nurse Consultant at Sunshine ED with Addiction Medicine, Drug Health Services, discusses the benefits of identifying patient needs early, through AOD use disorder screening.
Video 2: Here, Addiction Medicine Registrar Thileepan Naren, Drug Health Services, discusses the issue of stigma that many patients with AOD care needs face and what this means for patient engagement and response to treatment.
For our final week of Mental Health and AOD Education Month, our focus is Distraction and Calming Strategies and Tools for Western Health EDs.
Distraction and calming interventions assist patients to engage in their senses or activity-based stimuli as coping strategies to self-soothe, or regain motivation. For staff this can support de-escalation measures, or improve patient engagement during assessment and treatment.
Note that while patients with mental health and/or AOD care needs might often benefit from distraction and calming, these strategies are intended to benefit any patient in ED if the need is appropriate.
Launching next Monday March 7th, a distraction and calming tools bundle we’re calling the Pastime Pack will be available at Footscray and Sunshine EDs
This week please refer to new Western Health Guidelines and our Educational Webinar for an explanation of how to use the Pastime Pack with patients in ED.
Lined Up For You:
These Western Health Guidelines support the use of Pastime Packs in Footscray and Sunshine EDs. Please refer to this for guidelines around appropriate patients, as well as storage, inventory and access.
Quick Reference Guide – Use of Distraction and Calming Strategies in Emergency Departments
This staff guide summarises the above Guidelines. Images are included in the Appendices for your reference.
This week’s webinar panel includes Angela Mazur, Chief Occupational Therapist, NorthWestern Mental Health.
Webinars are every Thursday from 2:00pm, for 45-60 minutes. If you are unable to attend live, check back here afterwards for a recording.
*UPDATE* Please click below to view this webinar recording:
WeLearn Modules
This week’s topic ties closely with the remaining modules we have yet to highlight from the Foundations of Emergency Department Mental Health Care Training Package:
Tip: Search “Foundations” in WeLearn’s courses catalogue.
Login to WeLearn here.
The below short video presentations promote a series of key messages that support this week’s topic.
In our first video, Victoria Howes, Mental Health Nurse Navigator at Sunshine Hospital ED, discusses the contents of the pack, how to document its use and safe hand hygiene practice.
Video 2: Here, Dev Raithaththa, Service Development and Operations Manager, Mental Health, discusses the benefits of Distraction and Calming interventions, and how Pastime Packs can be used as part of your ED patient care.
Thank you for your engagement. In future this page will remain in use as a central hub of information that we hope will support our staff in self-directed learning on all things mental health and AOD-related.
