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NAMI Provider class May 20, 2006

Posted by danucube in Mental Health, Volunteer.
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Next week is the first NAMI Provider class that I am part of the team teaching. We have a team of 5 instructors, very interesting. We'll be teaching social workers, nurses, clerks, … first line folds about special aspect of serious mental illness; things that they do not learn in school. Excited with this opportunity also as it will help me with nursing.

NAMI Provider Training February 5, 2006

Posted by danucube in Mental Health, Nursing, Prenursing, Volunteer.
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Just came back from a 4 day NAMI Provider Training. Learned a LOT. I think it will affect me positively if I go into psych nursing somedays. Even if I don't go into psych nursing, I think it will be beneficial as a nurse.

Some of the things I learned that is sticking in my minds right now are:

  • Teach by modeling.
  • See if you can change "heart" instead of changing "minds"
  • The importance of the patient's family. The importance of working collabaratively with the patient and his/her family.
  • The importance of dependency->independency->interdependency. Notice the final stage is NOT independency but interdependency.
  • Teach by stories, especially personal stories.

There were many more points, it will take me a while to absorb them all. Also I was happy to meet a few nurses in the class also and I got to pick their brains.

I had a great time as consumers, family members, and providers all learn to work together in this class as a team, to share together our burdens, to share our common goals together. It was a great enviorment as there were no "us" or "them" as we learn to teach together and eat together and share our stories with each other.