Keeping the flame alight: understanding and enhancing interest in mental health nursing as a career.

Mental health nursing is not regarded favourably by most Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students as a desirable career option. However, little is known about what attracts those students who do become interested. The primary aim of the current study was to explore BN students' reasons for choosing to undertake the major in mental health nursing and the degree to which completing the subject: "Recovery for mental health nursing practice", confirmed that interest or otherwise. A secondary aim was to examine their perceptions about the attitudes of others to their expressed interest in mental health nursing. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken with undergraduate nursing students (BN) (n = 12) enrolled in a major stream in mental health nursing. In-depth individual interviews were conducted primarily by telephone. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's steps to explicate the main themes. Two main themes emerged: Swimming against the tide - that's not real nursing, captures participants' experience of the negative attitudes of others to their interest in mental health nursing; and, creating and confirming an interest in mental health nursing, where participants discuss how their interest emerged and how it had been enhanced after completing the subject: Recovery for Mental Health Nursing Practice. Mental health nursing continues to be a stigmatised and undervalued profession both within nursing and the general public. Despite this, participants of this research were attracted to the specialty, and their interest was generally strengthened after completing the Recovery subject. Further research is required to examine the impact of being taught by an academic with lived experience on interest in mental health nursing as a career.

The extension of Colaizzi's method of phenomenological enquiry.

AIM: Originating from unfunded research undertaken in 2007, this paper offers an overview of Colaizzi's method of phenomenological analysis and proposes an extension to the original seven step approach enhancing rigour and, expanding information sources to enhance in-depth descriptions of phenomena for study. BACKGROUND: The focus on human experience emanates from the human sciences in which the everyday lived world of humans constitutes the ontological and epistemological focus of enquiry - understanding of human experiences. Since the emergence of phenomenology as a method of enquiry, advances in phenomenological thought and research methods have emerged. METHOD: Colaizzi's phenomenological method of enquiry was used as the basis of enquiry in this study. FINDINGS: The extension to Colaizzi's method of analysis emanated from recent research conducted by the authors to allow participants to express their experiences through everyday language. These 'expressions of life' included - art, music, poetry, metaphor as symbolic representations - as a vehicle for participants' to explicate their experiences. CONCLUSION: The additional step proposed as an extension to Colaizzi's seven step analysis offers researchers using Colaizzi's method greater access to implicit and explicit meanings embedded in participant descriptions by utilising 'expressions of life' - art, music, poetry, metaphor as symbolic representations - as articulated by the participants in explicating their experience of the phenomenon.

Getting that piece of paper: mental health nurses' experience of undertaking doctoral studies in Victoria, Australia.

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of mental health nurses undertaking doctoral studies. The study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. A descriptive-exploratory approach to inquiry was used for this study. Participants were mental health nurses who had successfully completed a doctoral qualification. Eligibility for inclusion required participants to be residing in Victoria (irrespective of where their doctoral studies were undertaken) and to have conducted their research within the domain of mental health and/or currently employed in the field of mental health nursing. Of the 20 potential participants invited, 16 accepted the invitation. Five emergent themes were explicated from narrative analyses. These themes were "being a trail blazer," "positioning for professional advancement," "achieving a balance between competing priorities," "maintaining a commitment to the development of the profession," and "a point of affirmation." An understanding of the experience of undertaking doctoral studies can be used to influence the development of strategies to encourage more mental health nurses to consider undertaking a doctoral degree.

Doctoral graduates in mental health nursing in Victoria, Australia: the doctoral experience and contribution to scholarship.

The last decade has seen a substantial increase in the number of psychiatric or mental health nurses in Victoria, Australia who hold doctoral qualifications. The literature refers to the importance of scholarship for the professional development and recognition of nursing as a discipline. However, there is a paucity of literature addressing the contribution of nursing doctoral graduates to scholarship in mental health nursing or indeed the broader nursing profession. This paper presents the findings from a survey of psychiatric nurse doctoral graduates currently residing in the State of Victoria. A questionnaire was developed by the authors and distributed to the known doctoral graduates. The main findings demonstrate considerable variation in the discipline and topic of inquiry and in the extent to which doctoral studies had led to dissemination of research findings and engagement in further scholarly activity. The strengthening of mental health nursing knowledge requires scholarship and doctoral graduates are expected to make a major contribution, through research and the dissemination of findings. This paper presents a descriptive overview of doctoral graduates in one State of Australia with a particular focus on research and scholarship.

Back to the future: A practice led transition program from Assistant in Nursing to Enrolled Nurse.

Continuing professional development is an essential element in professional nursing practice. In our Hospital and Health service, a gap in existing nursing pathways was identified for Assistants in Nursing (AINs), who wished to further their career in nursing and progress to Enrolled Nurse (EN). There is also little in the literature that addresses Assistants in Nursing wishing to progress their career to Enrolled Nurses. This article describes a quality improvement project designed to address this gap. The project was a collaborative venture between a Queensland Hospital and Health Service and an Institute of Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE). The focus was on creating a flexible career path for Assistants in Nursing, wishing to become Enrolled Nurses. The project resulted in the Diploma of Nursing program (theory and practice) being delivered within the hospital setting by nurse educators and clinical nurse consultants. This is unusual in that the program is normally delivered in the tertiary setting, by academic staff from the Institute of Further Education. Program implementation is described along with the challenges encountered. Outcomes from the project were: 78% completion rate; 100% employment on completion of their course of study; and 18% progressing to further their education such as Advance Enrolled Nurse or Registered Nurse. Student satisfaction regarding the program was also positive. The initiative established a local career path for Assistants in Nursing wishing to progress to Enrolled Nurse. This quality project demonstrates that collaborative ventures between the tertiary sector and hospital and health services, can create innovative flexible solutions for staff wishing to further their career in nursing.

AANA journal course. Update for nurse anesthetists. A common sense approach to hypothermia.

Hypothermia frequently is considered inadvertent in the perioperative setting. The preservation of vital body heat has been an issue since the 1800s. This article provides a select review of the causes of hypothermia and the methods for prevention of hypothermia during the perioperative period. Providing patients with an environment designed to foster normothermia can preclude the costs of longer hospital stays, prevent morbid conditions associated with hypothermia, and provide patients with a more comfortable perioperative experience. Our goal as perioperative healthcare providers is a normothermic perioperative experience for all patients.

'Things you can't learn from books': teaching recovery from a lived experience perspective.

Mental health policy in Australia is committed to the development of recovery-focused services and facilitating consumer participation in all aspects of mental health service delivery. Negative attitudes of mental health professionals have been identified as a major barrier to achieving these goals. Although the education of health professionals has been identified as a major strategy, there is limited evidence to suggest that consumers are actively involved in this education process. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate students' views and opinions at having been taught 'recovery in mental health nursing' by a person with a lived experience of significant mental health challenges. In-depth interviews were held with 12 students. Two main themes were identified: (i) 'looking through fresh eyes' - what it means to have a mental illness; and (ii) 'it's all about the teaching'. The experience was perceived positively; students referred to the impact made on their attitudes and self-awareness, and their ability to appreciate the impact of mental illness on the individual person. Being taught by a person with lived experience was considered integral to the process. This innovative approach could enhance consumer participation and recovery-focused care.