About the event

Adolescent mental health presentations are becoming increasingly common across healthcare settings, yet many nurses feel uncertain about how best to engage and support young people experiencing mental illness.

Join Alexander Paterno MACN, Associate Lecturer of Nursing and Credentialled Mental Health Nurse, as he explores the role of the adolescent mental health nurse and the function of an inpatient adolescent mental health unit. Learn about the key assessment tools used in adolescent mental health and discover why effective assessment is built on therapeutic relationships and meaningful conversations rather than checklists alone.

Alexander will discuss three of the most common presentations encountered in adolescent mental health; suicidality, psychosis and anorexia and conclude with two real-world case studies that highlight the importance of therapeutic engagement in building trust, supporting recovery and improving patient outcomes. Whether you work in emergency, paediatrics, community or acute care, this webinar will provide practical knowledge and greater confidence in caring for adolescents experiencing mental health challenges.

Key Learning Objectives

• Describe the role of the adolescent mental health nurse and the function of an inpatient adolescent mental health service in supporting young people experiencing mental illness. 
• Recognise common adolescent mental health presentations, including suicidality, psychosis and anorexia, and identify key principles of nursing assessment and care. 
• Apply therapeutic communication and engagement strategies to build rapport, conduct effective mental health assessments and support positive outcomes for adolescents and their families.

About the speaker

Alexander Paterno MACN - Associate Lecturer of Nursing, Provisionally Credentialed Mental Health Nurse, Central Queensland University

Alexander is an associate lecturer in nursing and a provisionally credentialed mental health nurse with experience across a range of clinical settings, including an adolescent mental health inpatient unit and youth detention. In 2015, his life changed when he volunteered as a teaching assistant in Naples, Italy. That experience ignited his passion for service and deepened his understanding of how to empower young people through therapeutic presence. Alexander holds a Graduate Certificate in Managing Youth Self-Harm and Suicide and am currently completing a Master of Mental Health Nursing and Graduate Certificate in Tertiary and Adult Education. Through the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, Alexander serves as the deputy chair of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Special Interest Group and as a committee member of the Queensland Branch. In addition to my nursing work, he draws on his qualifications as a lawyer and credentialed work health and safety advisor to advocate for safer mental health inpatient units and improved outcomes for both consumers and nurses.

Not an ACN member? Join ACN to attend this event for free and access the recording afterwards on the ACN CPD Centre.

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