Improving mental health crisis care for children and young people

32^nd International Congress on Nursing and Primary Health Care

January 27-28, 2025 Webinar

Christine Kerr

Healthy Teen Minds, UK

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

We Can Talk is a co-produced educational project that utilises experience and expertise of children, young people, hospital staff and mental health experts to improve mental health crisis support in acute hospital settings. It positively impacts on patient experience, reduces risk and improves outcomes for children and young people (CYP), up to the age of 25, who attend hospital in mental health crisis. Acute hospital staff report they lack the condence and competency to deal with children and young people presenting with mental health needs. Young people also report many negative experiences when attending hospital due to their mental health. This gives a poor experience for both staff and young people, even before the added pressures of a Covid pandemic. We Can Talk training provides staff the condence, skills and knowledge that enables them to support young people attending in crisis. Independently reviewed data (by the Child Outcomes Research Consortium - CORC). Found an overwhelming majority of staff report training improved their condence (76%- 100%) and knowledge (76%-98%) in all We Can Talk competency areas. A huge 99% of staff report the training will make a difference to the way they do their job. Organisations have reported a range of benets including improved working relationships between acute and mental health providers, reduction in the use of agency staff to support young people presenting due to their mental health, improved quality of referrals to CAMHS and improved risk management of young people awaiting specialist assessment.

Biography :

Christine Kerr is a dual qualied adult and paediatric nurse with extensive experience in Emergency care. She has specialist qualications in emergency care, autonomous practice, paediatric intensive care and a masters in practice education. Up until recently, in addition to being the National Director for We Can Talk, she has until recently held positions as a senior nurse within the NHS.