Alison Hunter (Student Mental Health Nurse) reflects on her time with Mindsong.
During my first semester as a second year Mental Health nursing student, I spent 15 weeks (Oct 2022 – Feb 2023) on placement with Mindsong. This gave me the unique opportunity to work alongside music therapists and vocal leaders, who help people living with dementia and their carers through music therapy, singing and support groups.
Initially, I was apprehensive: I was Mindsong’s first student, and I couldn’t sing… However, I didn’t need to worry. The Mindsong team made me feel extremely welcome from the start, and thankfully it wasn’t mandatory to have a good voice!
I grasped this unique opportunity and took part in as many of the groups as I could across Gloucestershire, including Sing 2 Remember, Together in Song, and 1-2-1 music therapy sessions at home and within a care home environment. I also took part in weekly Breathe In Sing Out groups for people living with chronic respiratory illness, and I could see the positive impact the breathing exercises had on those attending.
I felt extremely privileged to work alongside a Health and Care Professions Council-registered therapist during a 10-week Mindset course for people that had recently been given a diagnosis of dementia. We provided practical and emotional support by exploring what the diagnosis meant to the participants and their families, and helping them to adjust.
This placement has shown me how powerful music therapy can be as an intervention, reducing distress for people living with dementia and providing opportunities for self-expression and communication, as well as ideas for coping strategies. I have also seen how important it is, from a wellbeing perspective, for people and their carers to attend the various groups and have a good sing and a natter over tea and homemade cake. This eases loneliness and isolation, especially in rural communities.
It’s been an extremely positive student nurse placement experience. I have come away inspired and will aim to incorporate my new knowledge and skills into my nursing practice going forward to my next placements.
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