Service user involvement in pre-registration nurse education is now a requirement, yet little is known about how students engage with users in the classroom, how such initiatives are being evaluated, how service users are prepared themselves to teach students, or the potential influence on clinical practice. The aim of this literature review was to bring together published articles on service user involvement in classroom settings in pre-registration mental health nurse education programmes, including their evaluations. A comprehensive review of the literature was carried out via computer search engines and the Internet, as well as a hand search of pertinent journals and references. This produced eight papers that fitted the inclusion criteria, comprising four empirical studies and four review articles, which were then reviewed using a seven-item checklist. The articles revealed a range of teaching and learning strategies had been employed, ranging from exposure to users' personal stories, to students being required to demonstrate awareness of user perspectives in case study presentations, with others involving eLearning and assessment skills initiatives. This review concludes that further longitudinal research is needed to establish the influence of user involvement in the classroom over time.

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Mental health nurses are ideally placed to assess mental health service users' physical health and provide relevant interventions. However, they may lack the confidence and knowledge to do so, as a result of limited education on physical health issues. This mixed methods pilot study sought to evaluate the effect of education on confidence in assessing and addressing physical health needs following attendance at a module entitled "Physical health issues in adult mental Health practice." An explanatory sequential design was used in which quantitative data regarding participants' perceptions of their confidence on assessing and addressing physical health issues with service users were collected via a questionnaire pre- and post-module. Additionally, a focus group interview was conducted to expand on survey responses. Findings indicated that confidence scores increased for all participants following the module, with participants identifying new knowledge and plans for practice change. Further research is needed to educate and support mental health staff in improving their confidence and knowledge in this area.

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Traditional ideas of mental health nursing are challenged in contemporary healthcare settings by developments focused on more partnership and collaboration with people using mental health services. Yet service users have reported limited involvement in planning their own care. The purpose of this research was to explore accounts from multiple perspectives about service user involvement in mental health nursing processes. Qualitative research interviews and focus groups with mental health nursing students (n=18), qualified nurses (n=17) and service users (n=13) were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants' transcribed talk was thematically analysed to examine understandings about service user involvement and mental health nursing. Nursing work was often described as task-focused, with limited collaboration with service users in areas like care planning. Service user involvement was seldom mentioned by nurses themselves, indicating it did not form an important part of mental health nursing processes. Mental health nurses appear to be complicit in care processes that do not include involvement of service users and may discourage novice practitioners from attempts at engagement.