Bass Coast Health is offering further mental health care to inpatients at Wonthaggi Hospital through a new dedicated Mental Health Clinician role.
Kylie Burns joins BCH in response to the high incidence of mental health presentations and brings 27 years’ experience providing care and treatment to some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
At BCH Kylie provides psychiatric consultation to the general hospital staff within the Acute Medical unit and Sub-acute unit, offering integrated and holistic care to inpatients with a mental health concern.
Kylie is able to provide early intervention in the mental health episode of care, crisis intervention, psychosocial follow-up and support, family and patient liaison, and discharge planning, including service referral and linkage for support.
The role also entails referral to inpatient units for admissions, education for staff to improve mental health care, and support to general wards to provide mental health specific advice and management.
Employed by Latrobe Regional Hospital, Kylie is on a 12-month secondment to Bass Coast Health to work at Wonthaggi Hospital until March 2022. Her initial six-month secondment has been extended to 12 months, such is the demand.
“I am able to identify those patients who need mental health care, providing early intervention in their mental health episode. The treatment I administer is biological, psychological, and is always grounded in the patient’s recovery and social reality which includes their family, other practitioners and other service providers,” she said.
“My role at BCH is diverse. Not only do I provide mental health support to patients on the Sub-acute and Acute wards, requests have been made to review patients in the ED, Midwifery and other departments as required. This is why I am so passionate about mental health; no presentation is the same and it is a privilege to be able to support patients and their families from the onset of their illness through to their recovery.”
As a Nurse Practitioner, Kylie is trained to assess patients’ needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, prescribe medications, and develop treatment plans within her scope of practice.
Staff will make a referral to Kylie if a patient requires a mental health review.
“Staff will gain the consumer’s consent for a mental health review and I’m able to review the patient and offer the best treatment options for that person in consultation with the treating team,” Kylie said.
“For inpatients, I can provide the appropriate support and treatment. If ongoing mental health treatment is required once the patient is discharged, I will broker in the support of the local Community Mental Health Service or refer to other relevant support services.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside the amazing staff at Bass Coast Health, and the care and compassion they display has been nothing short of remarkable.
“Most of my working career has been based in the community setting, providing treatments to consumers in their homes, an exceptionally rewarding role and a privilege to have been part of the recovery journey of so many people.”
Kylie reports in the current climate of uncertainty there has been an increase in mental health presentations.
“We are all impacted in some way. It is important that we all take care of ourselves, but it’s equally as important to take care of each other,” she said.