Story Series: Ben Mieszkowski
I always struggled to motivate myself when I was younger. At school, I spent more time working out how to skip lessons without being caught, or when I was at school, I wasn’t paying much attention to anything and more often than not, getting in trouble. This trait followed me through college (I had to go twice) and then I finally shook this attribute of mine when I found something I truly enjoyed doing – nursing. I’d finally found something I had a passion for and at long last, I could motivate myself. Something that I could do which would make a difference and didn’t feel as meaningless as being sat behind a desk all day.
During my training, I always felt there was more than just mental health when it came to psychiatry. I quickly found myself seeking out ways to bridge the gap between mental health and physical health (probably inspired by my mum, a general nurse). For my first job, I applied for a role working with older adults in the hope that I would be able to develop my physical health skills and knowledge, as well as proving myself as a mental health nurse.
Working at Greenvale was a steep learning curve for my first job in my new career – not many mental health nurses come across death on a regular basis, but there’s something very fulfilling about working with a resident and their family when they enter the final stages of their lives. This aspect, partnered with other residents with complex mental health needs, made for an interesting and challenging first job.
After two years of working with older adults, I felt it was time to pursue a new area of mental health. I was very fortunate to notice a job being advertised within South London and Maudsley at the START team – an assertive outreach team working with rough sleepers who suffer from a severe and enduring mental illness. This was a rather dramatic change from my work with dementia and end of life.
My new job is different every day and there is a collection of various different presentations I come across, each requiring its own unique approach. My manager and team are fantastic, coming from varied backgrounds of experience, and they make positive changes to an abundance of homeless clients in three boroughs across South London.
I must admit that starting a new community job during the Covid-19 pandemic has been a struggle at times. First off being that I’ve started a job in a setting which isn’t what it usually is - with the pandemic in full swing, most rough sleepers have been put into repurposed hotels. This has been excellent for finding the support that this group of people so sorely need, however it comes with complications.
My team have had to adapt to new circumstances such as covering clients from every corner of London, all under one roof. On the other hand, I’ve been fortunate enough to find a community job which has allowed me to continue working at a high pace. I’ve slipped nicely into my new role, often cycling around South London meeting new and interesting people on a daily basis.
Recently I have been asking myself what the future holds for my career. As of now, I am extremely happy working for a versatile, proactive team in an incredibly interesting area of mental health. Although in the future, I would like to continue to bridge the gap between mental health and physical health… as long as it remains clinical!
