Sometimes it takes a walk in another’s shoes to know what they do. The intention of this story is to give you walk in the shoes of Dr. Lois Bolden; she is the Mental Health Nurse Educator. She is quiet, unassuming, and physically petite. So it is easy to see how what she contributes can be over-looked. Dr. Bolden’s leadership is the kind that leaves a lasting mark; she helps to lay the foundation for the nurses in Mental Health Nursing. She believes Mental Health Nurses should be involved with their patients, getting to know them, supporting them, helping them find hope. She is passionately pursing ways to help Mental Health nurses gain the skills needed to avoid becoming medical model, task-oriented nurses. She comes in on off-tours to give every nursing staff an opportunity to participate in self-development training and education. She not only teaches nurses classes that will help them keep themselves and their patients safe, she has also teaches them how to become psychiatrically skilled nurses. She engages them in such topics as therapeutic use of self, therapeutic communications, emotional intelligence, building a therapeutic milieu. She also does an on the spot class that she calls “Psychiatric Briefs”.
Dr. Bolden revamped and re-implemented the Goals Group, a 15- 20 minute group designed to help nursing staff and patients set the tone of the day. Patients get oriented as to the day’s activities and learn or reaffirm who they will be working with for the day. Nursing staff identify many potential problems and they help patients set their goals for the day. It’s a way of helping the patients feel less anxious about their day. Patients are grateful for the connection and support. The group sets the tone for the day. Additionally, she collaborated with another educator to bring other nurse led groups to the unit. One is the Anxiety Group; patients have praised this group because they are given an opportunity to identify ways of managing their anxiety during their hospital stay and after discharge. Several nursing staff members have learned to conduct the group. The nursing staff conducting the groups say they feel like they are doing more than just observing the patients, but rather are engaging in caring for them.
Dr. Bolden is a real team player. She is so willing to try new ventures that aid the entire interdisciplinary team in providing quality care. She has co-leaded the interdisciplinary team since its inception, forging to the forefront issues that are vital to developing a culture of patient-centered care. For example she is the facilitator for a unit-based Process/ Performance Improvement Team that is charged with developing a nursing philosophy for the ARC, addressing satisfaction, and identifying a care delivery model that will support patient and staff safety and patient and staff satisfaction.
However, what really makes Dr. Bolden stand out as a team player is her willingness to look beyond her role as educator to determine the needs of patients and nursing staff. For example, she always finds time to talk with and support the nurses in Mental Health. When she isn’t teaching, preparing to teach, conducting a group, preparing to conduct a group, or facilitating the unit-based Ethics Committee or Interdisciplinary team, you may see her passing food trays, helping with a discharge, or sitting in the hallway covering a patient on a special observation. Walk a mile in her shoes!