Consumer participation in nurse education: A national survey of Australian universities

Abstract

Consumers of mental health services have an important role to play in the higher education of nursing students, by facilitating understanding of the experience of mental illness and instilling a culture of consumer participation. Yet the level of consumer participation in mental health nursing programmes in Australia is not known. The aim of the present study was to scope the level and nature of involvement of consumers in mental health nursing higher education in Australia. A cross-sectional study was undertaken involving an internet survey of nurse academics who coordinate mental health nursing programmes in universities across Australia, representing 32 universities. Seventy-eight percent of preregistration and 75% of post-registration programmes report involving consumers. Programmes most commonly had one consumer (25%) and up to five. Face-to-face teaching, curriculum development, and membership-to-programme committees were the most regular types of involvement. The content was generally codeveloped by consumers and nurse academics (67.5%). The frequency of consumer involvement in the education of nursing students in Australia is surprisingly high. However, involvement is noticeably variable across types of activity (e.g. curriculum development, assessment), and tends to be minimal and ad hoc. Future research is required into the drivers of increased consumer involvement.

‘To be treated as a human’: Using co‐production to explore experts by experience involvement in mental health nursing education – The COMMUNE project

“…Despite the acknowledged benefits, involving EBEs in educating nurses and other healthcare professionals remains in its infancy and generally occurs on a limited and ad hoc basis (Happell et al . ; McCann et al . ; Meehan & Glover ) and is frequently confined to the use of story (Happell & Bennetts ).…”

Effect of immersive workplace experience on undergraduate nurses’ mental health clinical confidence

“…Their study found that the majority of consumers in tertiary nurse education contributed between 1 and 4 hours’ participation to a curriculum (Happell et al . ). The study presented in the present paper focussed on a novel approach to the inclusion of consumers for nurse student education, where students and consumers lived together for 4 nights and 5 days.…”

“…This is a much longer period of time than that identified by Happell et al . (). In the present study, consumer involvement occurred in a clinical placement capacity.…”

“…Involving consumers in nurse education is important and necessary (Happell et al . ; Terry ). Happell et al .…”

“…Further, Happell et al . 's (,b) review of the literature related to clinical placements in mental health found that mental health clinical placements can improve student confidence.…”