Sheffield nurse shares story on Mental Health Nurses Day

For the past seven years, Ali Curtis has been the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Nursing Lead for Cygnet Health Care and is based at Cygnet Hospital Sheffield which offers psychiatric intensive care support for young people.

She has shared her career journey to mark Mental Health Nurses Day (Weds 21 February), which was created by a group of mental health nurses from across the UK to help people celebrate the work of this group of healthcare professionals.

Describing her daily routine, she said no two days are ever the same.

"Every day is so different for me,” she explained. “At Sheffield I am part of the Senior Management Team so I support the CAMHS Ward Managers with all aspects of their role. I also deliver training, support student nurses and work with the quality team on improvement projects.”

Ali qualified as a Learning Disability Nurse in 2010 and then gained a further degree in Mental Health Care in 2012.

She added: “I started my nursing career in male adult forensic low and medium secure hospitals, before starting management roles in female locked rehab hospitals and duel diagnosis services. I then moved to children’s services and managed secure children’s homes before joining Cygnet Health Care.”

Describing her motivation for wanting to work as a mental health nurse, she said: “Both my parents have physical disabilities and are wheelchair users, my Mum also has learning disabilities and mental health issues.

“Growing up I saw both best and worst practice from services and I wanted to make a difference using my own lived experience.”

Ali explained that the best part of her job is being an advocate for the young people and their families, and finding a way to fix a problem for the staff team.

“It’s incredibly rewarding, seeing young people make such progress and be discharged from hospital to go on and live happy successful lives, it’s amazing,” she added.

“I honestly couldn’t do anything else. I would strongly recommend considering a career as a Mental Health Nurse to support the individuals in our society who need help to achieve their potential.”