A clinical teaching guide for psychiatric mental health nursing: a qualitative outcome analysis project

Abstract

Limited curriculum enhancement resources are available to psychiatric nurse educators. This article provides a clinical teaching guide for novice instructors teaching an introductory psychiatric nursing course. The investigation is grounded in a constructivist theoretical framework and extends a previous case study project that explored how students learn during a mental health practicum (Melrose 1998, Melrose & Shapiro 1999). The guide was tested and modified by applying a qualitative outcome analysis methodology. Insight into interpreting student behaviour and providing appropriate and stage-specific teaching tools is revealed. Theoretical components, assessment questions for teachers, student behavioural signs and teaching strategies are identified and discussed to describe significant features in creating personally meaningful learning experiences.

An investigation of nursing students' experiences in an Iranian psychiatric unit

“…Chesser‐Smyth (2005) referred to anxiety and Tully (2004) clarified that clinical practitioners need to be aware of students' stress. Therefore, decreasing student anxiety should be facilitated by staff who has knowledge of expected patient behaviours, and faculty should plan an orientation from the hospital staff and provide opportunities for the staff to join the student group in order to explain specific nursing interventions and approaches for dealing with the strain of working in a psychiatric clinical setting (Melrose 2002).…”

Impact of theory and clinical placement on undergraduate students’ mental health nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes

“…The abilities to identify common psychiatric disorders, implement appropriate assessments, demonstrate knowledge of medications and other therapeutic interventions, report and chart concerns promptly, and individualize nursing care in response to patient presentations and the agency milieu were nominated by Melrose (2002) and arose from earlier research finding gathered from clinical education in mental health settings (Bondy et al. 1997).…”

Communication and Human Patient Simulation in Psychiatric Nursing

“…Nurse educators also face the challenge of the changes that have occurred in the mental health system including restructured provision of services, budget constraints, limited reimbursement, and higher patient acuity (Melrose, 2002). These changes have led to reduced lengths of hospital stays that can ultimately impede students' learning in the psychiatric clinical setting.…”