My journey through mental health nursing and writing

I have worked in mental health nursing for more than 20 years, but writing Diaries of a Mental Health Nurse allowed me to reflect on what that journey has truly meant. Through the book, I hope to help people understand mental illness, while giving greater visibility to the nurses caring for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

I was born in Zimbabwe and trained as a nurse in Scotland. I later worked in England in forensic and rehabilitation mental health services before moving to Ireland approximately eight years ago. I am currently a Clinical Nurse Manager 2 in Dublin.

Each area of mental health nursing has taught me something different. I have cared for people experiencing severe mental distress, supported families during frightening and uncertain periods, and worked alongside dedicated multidisciplinary teams. I have also witnessed the pressures placed upon mental health nurses and the emotional weight that can remain with us long after a shift has ended.

People often see only our professional role without seeing what we carry as individuals. Mental health nurses are expected to remain calm while managing difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. We make decisions involving safety, treatment, dignity, and patients’ rights, often under enormous pressure. We must remain compassionate even when we are tired, frightened, or emotionally affected by what has happened.

Diaries of a Mental Health Nurse

Diaries of a Mental Health Nurse explores the reality of mental health nursing. It discusses involuntary admission, mental health tribunals, medication, restraint, racism, staffing pressures, burnout, and the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the book is not only about difficult experiences, it also captures teamwork, humour, compassion, and the moments of recovery that remind us why we entered the profession.

The book is not intended to criticise mental health services or expose individual patients. Protecting confidentiality and treating people with respect were extremely important to me throughout the writing process. I do not claim to speak for every mental health nurse. This is my personal account of a profession to which I have dedicated much of my adult life.

Journaling throughout my nursing career helped me process many of my experiences. Some situations stay with you for years, even when you believe you have moved on. Writing gave me somewhere to place those memories and emotions. It also gave me a voice and a sense of power that I did not know I had.

I did not follow a traditional route into writing or publishing. I simply felt that this story needed to be told. I wanted nursing students to understand the realities of the profession they were entering. I wanted experienced nurses to recognise that they were not alone in some of the emotions they carried. I also wanted families and members of the public to see the human beings behind mental health services.

I independently published the book through my imprint, Cleo NR Books. Its Dublin launch took place at the Bonnington Hotel on 21 August 2026 and was attended by nursing colleagues, friends, family members, and supporters. Seeing so many people gathered to support the book was emotional for me. It showed me that people are ready to have honest conversations about mental health and nursing.

Shortly after the launch, Diaries of a Mental Health Nurse reached number one in its category on Amazon Ireland. I could hardly believe it. I am an ordinary nurse who decided to write honestly about her journey, and the response has encouraged me to continue using my voice.

Mental health: An insight

I was interviewed on LMFM’s Late Lunch programme in July, and appeared on Near FM on 1 October 2026. These opportunities have helped me take the message beyond the pages of the book. I want to challenge stigma, encourage open conversations about mental illness and remind nurses that their experiences also matter.

Mental health nurses spend their careers supporting other people, but nurses are human too. We need appropriate staffing, meaningful support, and safe spaces where we can speak honestly about how the work affects us. Supporting the wellbeing of nurses ultimately helps us provide safer and more compassionate care to patients.

My advocacy is also expanding beyond books. I have written a feature film screenplay titled ‘Still Here’. It follows Samantha, a young woman who experiences first-episode psychosis, and explores her journey through hospital treatment, community support, and recovery. The story aims to portray mental illness with dignity while showing that a meaningful future remains possible after a serious diagnosis. I am currently looking for a producer who understands the importance of this story and can help bring ‘Still Here’ to the screen.

Whether through nursing, books, or film, my message remains the same: Mental illness should never take away a person’s identity, dignity, or hope. Recovery may not always be quick or straightforward, but it is possible. We must continue listening, learning, and treating every person with compassion.

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