The “Virtual Reality for Exposure Therapy” (VRET) initiative at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) represents a nursing innovation designed to enhance anxiety treatment. Originating from a ward-floor idea by Staff Nurse Aine Whyte—winner of the 2022 St Patricks Nursing Innovative Project Award—the concept was developed by a dedicated Nursing Quality Initiative working group in… Read more »

This project examines the local implementation of the HSE Mental Health Services: Guideline on the Implementation and Use of the National Ligature Risk Reduction Audit Tool for Approved Centres (2024) within the Department of Psychiatry, Unit 5B, University Hospital Limerick. The initiative was led through a strengthened Ligature Reduction Strategy Group, bringing together the complementary… Read more »

The design of mental health environments requires careful consideration of safety, wellbeing, operational performance and regulatory compliance. Drawing on a comprehensive whitepaper combining industry surveys, in-depth interviews and over 20 years of specialist experience, this presentation explores the critical role that windows play in supporting both service user safety and therapeutic outcomes. The research identified… Read more »

Healthcare staff are among the most exposed workforce groups to high-demand, sensory-intensive environments. Long working hours, open-plan workplaces, unpredictable noise, harsh lighting, and limited restorative spaces compound occupational stress. For neurodivergent staff, these conditions can be profoundly disabling. Everyday sensory inputs: sound, light, colour, and pattern can be overwhelming, leading to discomfort, anxiety, and distress…. Read more »

Healthcare environments influence far more than clinical outcomes. Long before a person meets a healthcare professional, their nervous system has already begun responding to the environment around them. Lighting, noise, wayfinding, waiting areas, privacy and predictability can either support regulation or contribute to stress, overwhelm and disengagement. Drawing on my work as a psychologist, psychotherapist,… Read more »

Lighting plays a critical role in mental healthcare environments, influencing both wellbeing and rehabilitation outcomes. In this presentation, Lee will explore how thoughtfully designed lighting can support circadian rhythms. By linking the latest scientific research with practical design strategies, the session will provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of how light affects human biology and… Read more »