Features
‘I had to be sectioned’: the nurse who became the patient
Rachel Davis draws on her personal experience of deep depression and psychosis to help educate her peers

Rachel Davis’s experience as a former patient in an inpatient setting is informing her role as a trust’s peer support lead for other healthcare professionals
- The writer’s experience of being sectioned under the Mental Health Act (1983) is now informing her role as peer support
- Vicarious trauma is described as a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors when caring for them
- Symptoms of vicarious trauma include stress, burnout and invasive thoughts about patients’ situations outside of work
A mental health career felt like the obvious choice when I was deciding on which branch
Want to read more?
Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today
Save over 50% on your first three months:
- Customisable clinical dashboard featuring 200+ topics
- Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals including Mental Health Practice
- RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules
- NMC-compliant RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
Already registered or subscribed? Log in

This article is not available as part of an institutional subscription. Why is this?
