Deanna "Dea" Russo

About me

I have always had an interest in the human mind, challenging stigma and misconceptions about mental ill-health. After studying Fine Art and Teaching, I decided to pursue a career in Nursing. I feel very privileged to be in a position to care and advocate for people with mental ill-health and have a special interest in supporting people with a lived experience of trauma.

My experience

I have 6 years of experience in nursing and have been employed in various areas such as general acute, aged care, palliative care, rehabilitation, and general practice. I then decided to specialise in mental health and have worked in aged care, community and acute mental health settings. Most of my mental health experience was gained within acute inpatient areas and I have significant experience in leadership, mentorship, and preceptorship.

My current role/work

I am currently a Clinical Nurse Educator, and OVA Training Co-Ordinator for a regional, public Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. I am aiming to further the knowledge, confidence and competence of staff and assist them in developing a more robust skillset with which to draw from to best support consumers who are psychologically distressed or dysregulated. Furthermore, the training offers knowledge in how to ethically and safely support consumers in situations where there is the potential for harm to the person or others. In addition to this, I am developing and delivering training for staff regarding subjects such as Safewards and Gender Diversity within the workplace to support staff in their professional development. I am currently supervising three people.

My training

CERT IV Training and Assessment (Swinburne)
Clinical Supervision Masterclass (CMHN)
Master of Mental Health Nursing (RMIT)
Post Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Nursing (RMIT)
Bachelor of Nursing (ACU)
Diploma of Nursing (Navitas Health Skills Australia)
Master of Teaching (Secondary) (University of Melbourne)
Bachelor of Fine Art (RMIT)
Diploma of Visual Art (Victoria University)

My approach to supervision

I approach Clinical Supervision with a reflective, supportive, collaborative, trauma informed, culturally safe, and gender diverse lens. I am a proponent for reciprocal integrity, respect, and openness, and aim to empower the supervisee as much as possible, to assist them in developing what they wish to gain from Clinical Supervision. In offering a safe environment for Supervisees to discuss their concerns or express their thoughts about their practice, I aim to provide context, inspire different perspectives and thinking, and provide practical suggestions for them to think about. As I am new to providing Clinical Supervision, I aim to be transparent about my process and welcome feedback from the Supervisee to tailor the sessions to them as much as possible. In addition, I respect their choice in deciding if the fit is not right, and support the Supervisee to find a Supervisor who is the right fit for them, as these sessions are for the benefit of the Supervisee.