Credentialled Mental Health Nurses-A Disappearing Specialty: Current Trends and Attitudes

As rates of mental illness continue to rise, mental health nurses are in increasing demand to meet the needs for specialised health care. While mental health nurse credentialing provides a standardised process within Australia to identify suitably qualified nurses to work in the specialty of mental health, the number of credentialled nurses has been declining. This study aimed to identify attitudes and motivations about mental health nurse credentialing. A cross-sectional online survey open to all registered nursing staff working in mental health settings within the Metro South Health district in Queensland and all credentialled mental health nurses in QLD was conducted over a three-month period. The survey indicated that credentialing was valued by many credentialled and non-credentialled nursing staff and was viewed as important to people's professional identity and pride. However, nursing staff did not believe that the process provided any benefits and little value for money as there were no actual benefits associated with being credentialled and the credentialing process had no impact on their private practice or recognition by APHRA. Considering the current workforce shortages of mental health nurses that are predicted to continue to increase, the results indicate the importance of having mental health nurse credentialing at the core of any workforce planning for mental health service delivery.