"Coaching and Peer-Assisted Learning" (C-PAL) - The mental health nursing student experience: A qualitative evaluation

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There is increasing demand for clinical placements for pre-registration nursing students. New models of mentorship have been developed to meet the demand for clinical placements by increasing the number of students within each placement. At present there are no published research studies into the effectiveness of team mentorship utilized by pre-registration nursing students within in-patient mental health settings. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper reports findings from a study that explored the experiences of mental health students within the social world of their clinical placement, adopting a new approach to practice learning where students support each other's learning. Students found their engagement in the pilot project as valuable as being exposed to the new team mentorship model which introduced them to peer-assisted learning. The learning that arose from peer-assisted learning within team mentorship appeared to provide learning opportunities that enabled students' to develop greater self-awareness and confidence. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Peer-assisted learning where students support the learning of each other, can lead to a wider range of learning opportunities for, as well as between, nursing students. In order for students to participate in care and become a "learning team," suitable in-patient mental health wards need to be identified that can support this new approach to the supervision, assessment and support of students. The establishment of team mentorship within mental health in-patient settings is dependent on the support provided by practice educators and university link lecturers to nurse mentors and coaches which in turn, determines the quality of the student experience.

ABSTRACT

Introduction This paper presents findings from a study that evaluated mental health nursing students' experience of a team mentoring model called Coaching and peer-assisted learning (C-PAL). At present there are no published research studies into the effectiveness of team mentorship utilized by nursing students within in-patient mental health settings. Aim The study utilized an interpretivist methodology where the focus was on individuals in their social world. Method Two focus groups were held with fifteen students who had experienced C-PAL in four in-patient wards. Findings Students' overall experience of piloting C-PAL was positive. Learning opportunities (Theme 3) appeared to be dependent on the quality of peer support (Theme 5) which in turn, enhanced the learner experience and increased the level of student confidence (Theme 6). Less positive experiences included inadequate preparation (Theme 1), poor understanding of the model and competition for learning experiences. Implications for practice We tentatively suggest that team mentorship models such as C-PAL may be suitable for acute in-patient mental health settings. The success of C-PAL depends upon the preparation of nursing staff, mentors (Theme 4), coaches and students in relation to role expectations, shift rostering (Theme 2) and the implementation of "huddling" to promote opportunistic learning.