How to conquer your fears of talking about mental health

Nurses can lack the confidence to start conversations about mental health with patients, but taking part in research can be a help as a practice nurse explains

I have been a general practice nurse for 16 years and an advanced nurse practitioner for the past four.

One of my major concerns has always been seeing patients with mental health issues – I felt I wasn’t the right person to help so would refer the patient to their GP.

I’m not a trained mental health nurse – do I have the skills to help?

Perhaps these concerns stemmed from being educated in discipline silos from the outset, with mental health segregated from physical health.

I am