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Taking a leap of courage changed the course of Rowena Wetmore’s nursing career. Following the loss of a close friend, she made the move to mental health nursing and says it was one of the best decisions of her life.

After joining Albury Wodonga Health in 2004, she now leads the Albury Community Mental Health team — a role she describes as both challenging and deeply fulfilling. Her journey into mental health nursing is one shaped by compassion and a desire to make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

Here’s her story:

What inspired you to become a mental health nurse?

“My journey into mental health began after the passing of a close friend from brain cancer in 2015. She was the reason I became a nurse.  

At the time, I was working in the emergency department and always found it incredibly rewarding to care for people presenting with mental health concerns. After her death I knew that if I wanted to take the leap into further study and change, I needed the courage to make it happen. 

I was fully supported by my then NUM, Clare Maher, for a secondment into what used to be known as MHECS (Mental Health Emergency Consultation Service). Stepping into mental health nursing has been one of the best decisions of my life.”

What does a typical day look like?

“We start the day off with the intake meeting where we review contact that our consumers have had with local triage after hours. We discuss consumers recently discharged from an inpatient admission and closely monitor their risk. We also go through our list of depot medications that need to be administered. Case managers arrange home visits or centre visits with their consumers. Any questions or concerns are discussed as a team ready for the day ahead.

I attend multidisciplinary meetings to ensure continuity of care, respond to service needs, staffing issues and future planning, and support clinicians in the incredible work they do. I see consumers to formulate safety plans. It's busy but meaningful work. What I love most is seeing the difference we make to people's lives, whether that’s helping a single mother work towards full custody of her children or seeing a consumer take a small but important step towards recovery.”

What are the biggest challenges in your work?

“The hardest part is seeing consumers become unwell and witnessing the devastating effects mental illness can have on their lives and their families. It reminds me every day how vital compassion, patience and hope are in this work.”

What’s the biggest myth about mental ill-health?

“That it can’t happen to you. The reality is that mental health challenges affect one in five Australians every year. No one is immune. Mental ill-health does not discriminate. That’s why awareness, empathy and accessible support are so important.”

How do you look after your own mental health?

“Our service cultivates a really supportive team environment. We create opportunities to debrief and celebrate successes together, and the AWH Wellbeing Unit provides ongoing resources to help us manage work stress.

Outside of work, I spend time with my precious family and friends. I’m blessed with wonderful grandchildren who remind me of the simple things in life.

My mindfulness comes from making earrings — a creative outlet that brings me joy. I also love getting down to Basq Day Spa for a massage, surrounded by calm and relaxation.”

What do you want the community to know about mental health care at AWH?

“Mental Health services in the community provide a significant amount of care to our consumers to enable them to manage their mental health at home, prevent admissions to the hospital or support them when the hospital admission is needed. We have a range of mental health teams in the community supporting every stage of life, from infant, child and youth teams to adult mental health teams and older persons specialist mental health teams who provide long term case management and care. 

We also have the acute care intervention service which provides a daily response via triage, crisis assessment treating team and a suicide prevention team – the Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program. These community teams are staffed by experienced multidisciplinary professionals including consultant and registrar psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and administrative support.

Our mental health teams at AWH work hard every day to provide safe, trauma informed, recovery-focused care. Behind the scenes are passionate, skilled professionals doing incredible work to support and advocate for people in our community. 

I am proud of the work our teams do every single day. And I am proud to be a mental health nurse.”

Thanks for sharing your story, Rowena!