Nursing on the Bradley REACH Team

May 12

By Chris Bowers, RN

When you tell someone that you are a nurse, most people think about bedside nursing in a medical hospital setting. Psychiatric nursing is different. When I tell people that I work at Bradley Hospital, I am usually asked, “What’s that like? What do you do?”

Over the past two decades, I have worked in client’s homes, on inpatient units, in classrooms, and in residential settings, both as a registered nurse and a mental health professional. Looking back, I think what attracted me to the field was that I experienced mental illness firsthand with a close family member. I didn’t understand until much later how ill this person was, and I couldn’t help but think that if this person had gotten the help and support that they needed early on, that perhaps their life could’ve turned out differently.

Today, on the Bradley REACH team, I work with teens who are dealing with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Sometimes they are angry, sad, frustrated, or fearful. Many teens are unsure of who they are or who they want to be. For these teens, attending school can cause crippling anxiety due to bullying or difficulty with academic work. They need our support because they have the same hopes and dreams as every other kid, and they deserve the chance to make them happen.

Psychiatric nurses in the Bradley REACH program work with an interdisciplinary team to help assess, diagnose, and treat adolescents with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Like nurses in other settings we complete assessments, admissions, and discharges. We meet with patients and family members to discuss medical or safety concerns and we follow up with outside medical providers.

Twice weekly we educate our patients on wellness, self-care, and emotional health by leading therapeutic groups. Group topics range from subjects such as medications, sleep hygiene, nutrition, and self-esteem, to topics more specific to the times we live in, such as the risks of vaping or excessive electronics use and screen time.

Clients frequently ask to check in when they are physically not feeling well, have concerns about their safety, or just have general medical questions. It’s our job to advocate for our patients, and to ensure that they feel supported.

Teens today face so many challenges and barriers to receiving effective mental health care. Lack of access is the greatest challenge, particularly in rural areas and areas where there is a shortage of providers. Sometimes clients would have too far to travel, or the services simply aren’t available. With REACH, we are able to bring world class mental health care to them virtually. They have access to an entire mental healthcare team.

As a nurse, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the improvement in one of our clients, and knowing that I played a part in them overcoming their challenges.

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