“But I’m not going to be a mental health nurse”: nursing students’ perceptions of the influence of experts by experience on their attitudes to mental health nursing

The influencing factors of stigma towards people with mental illness among nursing students: a mixed-method systematic review

The stigma of nursing students towards people with mental illness (PMI) creates significant barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery for those with PMI. It can also have a significant impact on the future career choices of nursing students in the field of psychiatry. Current research has found various influencing factors, including personal characteristics and educational influences. However, a comprehensive analysis that encompasses all aspects is lacking. The aim of the study was to conduct a convergent mixed-method systematic review to synthesize the influencing factors of the stigma of nursing students towards PMI according to Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS) at micro, meso, and macro levels. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from 1990 to 31 December 2023. The reference lists of the included literature were further checked to identify potentially relevant articles. Two authors independently screened all titles, abstracts, and full-text articles and extracted data. Study quality was assessed by two authors using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A total of 4865 articles were initially retrieved, and 73 of these articles were included. The results suggested that the stigma towards PMI by nursing students was influenced by micro, meso and macro levels. At each FINIS level, the most frequent influencing factors are personal characteristics, the treatment system and media images. Numerous interconnected factors exert an influence on the stigma towards PMI among nursing students. Our research can be used to identify barriers and facilitators to nursing students' stigma towards PMI and to provide supporting information for interventions designed to reduce this stigma.

It takes it out of the textbook: Benefits of and barriers to expert by experience involvement in pre-registration mental health nursing education

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Service user involvement in mental health nursing education is beneficial in terms of attitudinal change to reduce stigma, clinical skill development and enhancing understandings of recovery-oriented practice. Service users as experts by experience have not been embedded within pre-registration nursing programs. Consequently, they remain limited in number, ad hoc and frequently tokenistic. Nurse academics responsible for the design and delivery of pre-registration mental health nursing curricula have a potentially important role in facilitating expert by experience involvement in mental health nursing education.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

Nurse academics teaching mental health nursing have generally favourable views about the importance of expert by experience involvement. Nurse academics experience significant barriers in supporting the implementation of academic positions for experts by experience, particularly in obtaining funding. The experts by experience could contribute to mental health nursing education does not appear to be clearly understood by nurse academics. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Mental health services aspire to adopt a recovery-oriented approach to practice. Involving experts by experience in mental health nursing education can facilitate increased understanding and appreciation of recovery-oriented practice. Nurse academics could play an important role in supporting the implementation of experts by experience positions in nursing academia. To do so, they require an understanding of the benefits of EBE involvement in academia and the barriers that can be encountered when attempting to facilitate the implementation of such positions. Experts by experience contribute unique expertise, essential to the development of quality mental health services. Conveying this expertise through the educating the future nursing workforce in mental health is essential.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Involving service users in mental health nursing education is ad hoc and minimal, despite growing evidence of its benefits. Insights and experiences of nurse academics teaching mental health to pre-registration students have been underrepresented in the research to date.

AIM

To seek insights and experiences of nurse academics involved in designing and delivering pre-registration mental health nursing education in Australian universities regarding involving service users in mental health nursing education.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative study involving 19 nurse academics from 13 Australian universities, involved in pre-registration mental health nursing education. Data were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Participants reported minimal service user involvement. Most sought an increase and identified barriers. Data analysis resulted in five identified themes: (1) value-rich, (2) resource-poor, (3) imperfect processes, (4) 'part, but not all' and (5) unrecognised worth.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing meaningful involvement of service-users in mental health nursing education requires support and investment from multiple stakeholders. Nurse academics are crucial stakeholders in understanding the unique expertise service users bring.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Service users being central to all aspects of mental health services requires their active participation in the education of health professionals. Nurse academics have an important role in realising this goal.

Consumer Involvement in Psychiatric Nursing Education: An Analysis of South Korean Students' Experiences

This study examined the experiences of South Korean nursing students in a psychiatric nursing class with consumer involvement. Data on 98 nursing students were collected in June 2021 and analysed using content analysis of participants' journals. Our qualitative study design adheres to the COREQ checklist for qualitative studies. Four main categories and subcategories were identified: (1) reflection, (2) learning, (3) preparation for the future, and (4) requirements. The findings demonstrated that applying consumer involvement to psychiatric nursing education is an innovative and effective strategy to correct negative prejudices among nursing students against people with mental illness.

Developing Mental Health-Related Simulation Activities for an Australian Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum

BACKGROUND

Although simulation-based learning experiences have been widely used in nursing curricula to develop confidence, knowledge, and skills, the use of mental health-related simulation in undergraduate nursing education is sparse.

METHOD

This project aimed to develop a simulation activity that incorporated the National Safety and Quality Health Service standards in acute mental health for undergraduate nursing students to prepare them for their clinical practicum in mental health. Clinical confidence was evaluated using the Mental Health Clinical Confidence scale.

RESULTS

Mental health clinical confidence increased in students following the activity.

CONCLUSION

The findings show simulation activities that build on existing knowledge improve student confidence in providing care for people with mental health conditions. This article reports on the development and implementation of a mental health-related simulation-based learning experience in an undergraduate nursing program and builds on the existing knowledge of simulation-based learning in health care education. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(6):356-361.].

Outcomes of Consumer Involvement in Mental Health Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

This integrative review analyzed the research on consumer involvement in mental health nursing education in the last decade. We aimed to derive the main contents, methods, and outcomes of education using consumer involvement for mental health nursing students. We searched six electronic databases using English and Korean search terms; two authors independently reviewed the 14 studies that met the selection criteria. Studies on the topic were concentrated in Australia and some European countries; most of them used a qualitative design. The main education subject was recovery, and consumers tended to actively participate in education planning. Moreover, students’ perceptions about education using consumer involvement and people with mental health problems changed positively, as well as their experiences of participating in mental health nursing education. There is a lack of interest in the topic in Asian countries, including Korea. Thus, future studies in Asian countries are needed to conduct qualitative and in-depth explorations of students’ experiences regarding an educational intervention that uses consumer involvement as a tool rigorously designed for mental health nursing education. Consumer involvement can be an innovative strategy to produce high-quality mental health nurses by minimizing the gap between theory and practice in the undergraduate program.