We thank Mr Chan Whye Shiung for his letter, "Do IMH nurses need more support for their roles?" (March 22).

We fully agree with Mr Chan that no patient should be exposed to reckless behaviour. Families entrust their loved ones to our care, and it is our duty and responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being.

Mental health nursing presents unique challenges and we have put in place multiple measures to help our nurses provide care more effectively and, at the same time, ease the stress on them.

For example, our nurses undergo additional training to equip them to work with psychiatric patients, and this includes protocols for managing aggressive patients and de-escalating difficult situations.

Supervisors conduct regular reviews with their nursing teams to discuss challenges faced and the appropriate follow-up actions. Regular training and refresher courses are also provided for all nurses to keep them updated in their practice.

Institute of Mental Health (IMH) nurses work in teams so that there is support from more experienced colleagues or supervisors when any staff member encounters issues.

Case reviews of challenging patients are conducted more frequently to discuss how the care team can better address their needs.

Nursing management staff also join the ward nurses and patients in weekly community meetings to understand issues and address feedback.

In addition, all staff have access to a staff support programme that offers a listening ear and support if they feel overwhelmed or stressed.

We would like to assure Mr Chan that IMH is committed to supporting our nurses in their work so that they may provide good and safe care to our patients.

Samantha Ong

Chief Nurse

Institute of Mental Health