what can mental health nurses learn from the … · rgn (rah), rpn (samhs), bn (flin.), mmhn (usq),...
TRANSCRIPT
WHAT CAN MENTAL HEALTH NURSES LEARN FROM THE
AMAZING STORY OF A CATHOLIC PATRON SAINT?
NB: THIS STORY DOES NOT RELY ON YOU BEING CATHOLIC.
ATHEISM 2.0 IS ABOUT RESPECTFULLY
STEALING FROM RELIGIONS.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TAKING
OUT THE GOOD BITS AND USING THEM IN THE
SECULAR WORLD.*
*SO SAYETH ALAIN DE BOTTON.
DYMPHNA WAS A TEENAGER LIVING IN 7TH CENTURY IRELAND WHEN HER MOTHER DIED.
DYMPHNA’S FATHER - DAMON - WAS SHATTERED WITH GRIEF. DAMON SENT HIS SERVANTS TO SCOUR ALL OF IRELAND TO
FIND HIM A NEW WIFE. HE WANTED A WOMAN AS BEAUTIFUL AND AS KIND AS HIS
DEAR DEPARTED WIFE!
DAMON’S MEN RETURNED FROM THEIR
SEARCH, AND TOLD DAMON THAT THE ONLY WOMAN IN
IRELAND AS BEAUTIFUL AND AS KIND AS HIS
LATE WIFE IS HIS DAUGHTER DYMPHNA.
OVERWHELMED BY GRIEF, DAMON THOUGHT THE UNTHINKABLE!
UNDERSTANDABLY, DYMPHNA WAS
CONFUSED & AFRAID.
GEREBERNUS, THE LOCAL PARISH PRIEST, HELPED DYMPHNA
GRIEF AFFECTS PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT
WAYS DYMPHNA. AT THE MOMENT YOUR FATHER IS A
RISK TO HIMSELF AND OTHERS*.
WE MUST FLEE TO SAFETY. RIGHT NOW!
GEREBERNUS & DYMPHNA FLED TO GEEL IN BELGIUM. DYMPHNA WAS BEHEADED! (GEREBERNUS TOO)
HOWEVER, DAMON TRACKED THEM DOWN, AND…
MARRY ME OR I WILL KILL YOU!
IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS
THOUGH: I LIVE ON AS A CATHOLIC
PATRON SAINT!
I HAVE A BROAD AND
INTERESTING PORTFOLIO OF PATRONAGES*.
AGAINST EPILEPSY AGAINST INSANITY
AGAINST MENTAL DISORDERS AGAINST SLEEPWALKING
AGAINST MENTAL ILLNESS FAMILY HAPPINESS
INCEST VICTIMS LOSS OF PARENTS
EPILEPTICS MARTYRS
PRINCESSES RAPE VICTIMS
RUNAWAYS SLEEPWALKERS
NERVOUS DISORDERS NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
POSSESSED PEOPLE MENTAL ASYLUMS
MENTAL HOSPITALS MENTAL HEALTH CAREGIVERS
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH
DIFFICULTIES
PROFESSIONALS, CARERS AND CONSUMERS SHARE THE SAME CATHOLIC PATRON SAINT!
HOW COOL IS THAT?
*JUST TO NAME A FEW: THIS IS ALSO REALLY COOL..
IN GEEL (THE TOWN WHERE DYMPHNA DIED),
NOT ONLY DID THE LOCALS DEDICATE A CHURCH TO HER, BUT FOR CENTURIES THEY HAVE TAKEN PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES
INTO THEIR HOMES.
GEEL HAS PIONEERED A MODEL OF MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY
CALLED “FAMILY FOSTER CARE”.
COOL, RIGHT?
FAMILY FOSTER CARE EVOLVED IN
GEEL ABOUT 400 YEARS BEFORE
“MODERN” PSYCHIATRY. IT’S NO BIG DEAL TO US.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE IS
CELEBRATED ON MAY 5TH EACH YEAR.
GENERAL NURSES HAVE ALIGNED THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THEIR PROFESSION WITH
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE’S BIRTHDAY: MAY 12TH.
MENTAL HEALTH/PSYCHIATRIC NURSES ARE ALL BUT INVISIBLE IN THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION COMPARED
TO OUR MORE GLAMOURISED COLLEAGUES.
WHY DON’T WE USE DYMPHNA’S FEAST DAY - MAY 15TH - AS A DAY TO CELEBRATE
OUR PROFESSION? OR YOU COULD USE MY BIRTHDAY, I GUESS.*
*THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE OF HILDEGARD PEPLAU SAYING THIS. MAYBE SHE THOUGHT IT (OR MAYBE NOT).
POSTER ABSTRACT, FULL LIST OF REFERENCES
AND A 6-MINUTE-VIDEO-VERSION
OF THIS PRESENTATION IS ONLINE:
META4RN.COM/AMAZING
PAUL MCNAMARA RGN (RAH), RPN (SAMHS), BN (FLIN.), MMHN (USQ), CERT IMH (WCHN), CMHN, FACMHN
- NOTHING SAYS “I DON’T HAVE A PHD” LIKE A LONG LIST OF POST-NOMINALS -
OCTOBER 2016 FOR #ACMHN2016
*AS EVIDENCED BY THIS STAINED-GLASS WINDOW SHOWING DAMON BEHIND DYMPHNA & GEREBERNUS.
HE HAS A KNIFE!
THE GETAWAY..
NO!