Episode 30 – Same Shift, Different PM…

EPISODE SUMMARY: At the start of the episode, hosts SM and EF presented as euthymic, engaged in conversation, pleasant on approach. After some time, both appeared to be developing anger, speaking about politics and expressing frustration at a failure to resolve deleterious situations. ?repressed anger?

Differential Diagnosis: F328.64 – Conservative Intolerance Syndrome; F646.0.2 – Scottish (similar presentation)

Medication: EF was particularly accepting of Tamnavulin 50ml PRN. SM was not observed in self-administration of whisky.

Observations: Witty, acerbic, developing into significant sarcasm.

PLAN:
1. Continue with episodic release of frustration (“podcasting”)
2. Consider overthrow of the establishment.
3. Review again in one month.
4. Reminded of trade union EGM, strike ballot and presidential election (if interested).

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MUSIC:
“Proper Motion” by Barstool Astronaut
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There’s no such platform as Bellafonte, but there should be.

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Episode 29 – Isolation Tank

Episode 29, finally here…

Yes, yes, we know, sorry. In our defence, it’s Thatcher’s fault! And Norman Lamont, he was part of the problem. And Brexit. And… and Partygate! It was everyone else’s fault! Deflect! Project! And if all else fails, there must be a dead cat round here somewhere…

As the nation falls into even more sh!t – all of it created by right-wingers and their pathetic supporters – Stuart and Ed come out of their isolation tanks and have a good moan about everything.

Because, as a formerly active Russian* once said, everything is connected to everything else.

Thanks for waiting.

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“Proper Motion” by Barstool Astronaut
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*If you’re peeved about us quoting a Russian, let’s just be clear that Vladimir Putin is not Russia, it’s history, it’s peoples or even it’s values in the same way that Liz Truss isn’t Britain. Let’s be grown ups about this (when we’re not calling people names, you big poopy pants…)

Episode 28 – Inequality Street

Episode 28 – After an involuntary hiatus – which isn’t even the fault of the hated Tories – Stuart and Ed regroup for a brief debrief, but not over cheese and wine in the garden because we’re not the hated Tories. We ran a poll on what parts of MH services were in greatest need, and here we offer our thoughts on the results.

This episode dedicated with much love to Kip Freshwater.

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“Proper Motion” by Barstool Astronaut
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Episode 26 – Will Murcott, HIN and SIM and the start of a new series

https://soundcloud.com/rmnbehavingbadly/episode-26-will-murcott-hin-and-sim

Episode 26 – Our second series begins in earnest as we tackle a controversial new pathway that’s being rolled out nationally with very little information behind it. Stuart and Ed are joined by lecturer, nurse and all-round good guy Will Murcott to talk about the High Intensity Network and “Serenity Integrated Mentoring”.

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“Proper Motion” by Barstool Astronaut
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Episode 25 – The Boys Are Back

Stuart and Ed finally manage to find an hour in their ridiculous lives to chat about the results of the third Mental Health Nurses’ Day, the professional perceptions of our trade, the public perception, and if there’s a future.

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“Proper Motion” by Barstool Astronaut
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In the name o’ the wee man!

I don’t really know what to say as I launch myself into constructing the first blog of 2021 for our wee pod. It seems that there would be so much to rage about right now. The injustice of the welfare system, the way in which the ‘game’ of life is rigged against those experiencing mental ill-health. The lack of investment in service provision and support for people living with learning disabilities or the flagrant disregard for neurodiversity.

Yes, as my blood begins to boil so I am reminded of the one thing that was designed to unilaterally harm the most vulnerable in our communities, to marginalise them, to disenfranchise them, to drive them into the shadows – Austerity – a political imperative lacking any solid evidence base. Now I know I should cite some reference at this point but I’m not going to; it’s my rant and so I should be allowed to pretty much do what I want.

My Gran had a phrase, it was her version of ‘oh FFS’. It was as close to blasphemy as a practicing Catholic born in the 1930’s in the West of Scotland got. She used to say it at times of great exasperation (usually when my Granda or one of her grandchildren had managed to get themselves into a spot of difficulty).

I remember one particular situation when I fell and split open my arm. Running up the back stairs to her house clutching my elbow as blood pored from it, she looked at me, her arms stretched wide waiting for me and said “In the name o’ the wee man Stuart McKenzie, wit have ye done?”

I sobbed telling her I had fallen over running, landing on a kerb stone. The moment I reached her arms I knew I was safe.

Now the adaptability of this phrase was later to be found when my Granda decided to spend his winnings from the Granada National on a Video Camera in 1986, costing £600 at a time when that Thatcher was doing her level best to keep him out of work. Gran said exactly the same thing only her arms were not stretched out and there was a lack of warmth in her tone “In the name o’ the wee man Norrie McGregor wit have ye done?”

For clarity, the “wee man” is indeed the “big man”, it refers to God; essentially my Gran was referring our situation to the almighty in an attempt to comfort, in the case of my arm or scorn in the case of my slightly inebriated Granda after a trip to Dixons.

Now, by this stage you are asking yourself, what exactly does any of this have to do with RMN Behaving Badly, the state of the nation, mental health and nursing? Well I’ll tell you, it has everything and nothing to do with it all at the same time.

Now my Gran wasn’t a nurse but I’d like to think had she been one she’d have been pretty awesome at it. I’d also like to think that much of the drive I have to challenge injustice and care for others came from her. I have been reflecting on my career choice quite a lot of late, I think being a manager now and working through the pandemic has made me evaluate and reflect. Why did I come into MH Nursing, why was I drawn into this profession that I love but a profession that with equal measure it exposes me to the harsh realities of the world, the pain and distress of others?

I should say now that I am neither religious nor do I believe in fate. What I do however believe is that as a MH Nurse there are times I wish I had all of the answers known only to a higher power and that I could predict the future. Whilst I’m incapable of divine acts or predicting the horse races, a family trait but for one day in 1986 which resulted in a VHS cam-recorder arriving in the Gorbals, its been my job at points in my career to help identify the dimming light at the bottom of the abyss, to make acceptable predictions that might be enough to just get through the next hour.

When a patient harms themselves for the third time in a week and comes to you as their nurse with a look of shame, guilty that they may have let you down, wondering if you will scald them like another nurse once did, you have a split second to react. Your posture, facial expression, tone and language will all have an impact. Reflecting on this very same scenario when I was a young staff nurse I’m not sure I got it right? I think that in that moment it may have been “In the name o’ the wee man, what have you done to yourself” Video Camera-version and less Bleeding Elbow-version.

I know there’s a point in this somewhere that those of you more gifted with words than I am wold be able to articulate in a paragraph, but then I wouldn’t have had the chance to reminisce about two wonderful people or reflect on something that I wish to this day if I had the power to rectify I would. I wish I could have been the comforting “In the name o’ the wee man”. I’m not even sure I can recall what I said but I know deep down I could have done more.

As we approach Mental Health Nurses Day 2021 I personally want to take time to reflect on my life and times as a MH Nurse. My experiences, success, failures and achievements. I want to take time to consider how my work and patients have shaped me as a person. Both Ed and myself would love to read your narratives about your own reflections and how your experiences brought you into MH nursing.

In the meantime, in the name o’ the wee man, take care o’ yersel’

Stuart

Episode 24 – New Year, Same Old Toss

Your favourite lefty beardy ranty mental health nurses are back for the start of a new year and the start of a fresh assault on everything those in charge are doing wrong.

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Episode 23 – Christmas Party

Finally, a December episode and released to coincide with our first anniversary – we know, a whole year of this unutterable bobbins.

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS A LOT OF SWEARING!!!

We got our three favourite comedians to give up some of their time once Strictly had finished and had a Zoom party for the faithful few. Join Ed, Stu, Susan Morrison, John Scott and Susie McCabe for a final F-Off to 2020!

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The Big Night In!

Saturday 5th of December 2020 – 9pm

This coming Saturday RMN Behaving Badly will be brining the traditional Nurses Christmas Night out to your living rooms, or wherever you might choose to pop your electronic device.

It has been the shittiest of shitty years – that is unless you got one of those lucrative contracts from Boris to produce PPE then never actually had to deliver on any of it. In that case you’ll be sitting in the Cayman Islands hoping that Ed & Stuart don’t track you down.

Lets all get together, raise our collective roofs & share our favourite tipple amongst those who have shared the Year of the Nurse & Midwife along with a global pandemic & a government who would be at home in Kindergarten.

So just to set the agenda, here is what we can’t offer you;

  • A mass produced Christmas dinner
  • A kiss from either Ed or Stuart under the mistletoe
  • A post-meal love-in with your bestie about how much you adore each other & how you inspire one another
  • An alcohol-fuelled, confidence boosted diatribe, directed right at your boss about why you should be a Charge Nurse*
  • At least 45 mins spent in the toilet holding your friends hair out of the toilet bowl

What we can offer you however is;

  • Top class laughter elicited by top comedy acts
  • Top quality banter between Ed & Stuart
  • A quiz that’ll be right up the street of any RMN
  • A competition for the tackiest Christmas decorations
  • Perhaps some Christmas songs
  • And the biggest reason of all, the chance to be amongst friends & colleagues

On the night we will be joined by Susan Morrison, John Scott & Susie McCabe.

We can’t stop you table dancing, no one can so go for it. Get your Christmas jumpers looked out, your Santa hats ready & lets have a night in like only RMNS and Nurses can.

*Although we might, you never know!

Its been a while………

Well folks, seems like 2020, the International Year of the Nurse & Midwife has been a doozy for each and every one of us. The year started off with such great promise, Nursing and Midwifery thrust into the forefront of the global community, reminding those who needed reminding of just how integral we are to a health, fit & vibrant world.

Covid-19 however, like some demented spin doctor thinking that the message wasn’t loud enough, descended upon our lives and made sure that the profession of nursing and our contributions to society would not be ushered off into the margins once more.

Through the whole sorry crisis we watch daily as politicians in Whitehall paraded themselves on our televisions using militaristic jingoism and patriotic rhetoric to “defeat the enemy”. Little did they know that to many of us they themselves were the enemy.

There will be time enough for us to dissect the failings of our leaders, the contributions of our peers and what we may have learned from a global pandemic.

In amongst the chaos, loneliness and testing times, we here at RMN Behaving Badly had some truly energising experiences with our series of #RMNBBLive events. Over 400 of you all joined us on three sperate occasions. We had comedy, we had music and we had debate. Joined by fabulous guests across three nights we explored the inequalities prevalent in our society whilst in the true nursing spirit found time to laugh together at the lighter things in life.

One of us had an election whilst another was offered a greater prize of health for their child only to have it plucked right from their families hands. The latter of these two scenarios puts firmly into perspective the fragile nature of life and the need to embrace what we have right in front of us.

As Covid-19 continues to rearrange our lives roadmaps like a Garmin sat-nav using out dated data, we have decided to stick our two fingers up at it all and revel in the silliness of it all.

In between lockdowns we had a soggy production meeting

On Saturday the 5th of December 2020 we will be hosting the #BigChristmasNursesNightIn (We may have to work on that handle). We want to bring our community together with humour and positivity. We will be hosting some fabulous comedians and plan to bring a little bit of the ‘Christmas Night Out’ to Zoom. So get your shot glasses ready, clear the table for some dancing and get the grumpy colleague who never goes out to cover your shift.

We will publish the link very soon along with some details of what to expect. We really want to get as many of you along as possible so please spread the word.

We understand that the World Health Organisation is extending the Global year of the Nurse & Midwife into 2021.We here at RMN Behaving Badly would suggest that they just DON’T.