Innovative Mental Health Clinical Placement: Developing Nurses' Relationship Skills

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Mental Health Nursing
• Psychosocial Nursing

Background:

• Clinical placements are essential for pre-registration nursing programs.
• Mental health clinical placements can offer variable educational development.
• Innovative approaches are needed to optimize learning in mental health settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the learning benefits of an innovative mental health clinical placement, Recovery Camp, for pre-registration nursing students.
• To explore student experiences in a 5-day immersive, therapeutic recreation-based program focused on personal recovery.
• To identify key themes influencing the professional development of nursing students in this setting.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative data collection through individual interviews, reflective journals, and researcher field notes.
• Inductive thematic analysis of collected qualitative data.
• Study involved 20 pre-registration nursing students participating in the Recovery Camp placement.

Main Results:

• Five major themes emerged: Initial Anxiety/Nervousness, Diffusion of Power, Student Perceptions of Consumers, Interaction and Communication, and Resource Shift.
• The immersive and collaborative nature of the placement significantly impacted student learning.
• Participants demonstrated development in relationship-oriented skills and understanding of person-centered care.

Conclusions:

• Immersive, collaborative clinical placements are vital for pre-registration nurse professional development.
• Recovery Camp provides a valuable model for enhancing relationship-oriented skills essential for person-centered mental health care.
• Effective clinical placements foster skill development crucial for future nursing practice in mental health settings.