title: The effect of classroom theory and contact with patients on the attitudes of student nurses towards mentally ill people.
abstract: This study explores the effect of classroom theory and contact with mentally ill patients on the attitudes of student nurses. The independent variables were (a) pre-class stage, (b) post-class stage, and (c) post-clinical placement stage. A total of 72 students took part in the study. While there were two significant changes in responses to specific attitudes at the post-class stage, there were three significant changes in responses to specific attitudes at the post-clinical stage on patients' characteristics. However, when responses to all attitudes pertaining towards patients' characteristics were grouped, there was no overall significant change at the post-clinical experience stage. Also, for attitudes towards patients' treatment, there were significant changes in responses to two specific attitudes at the post-class stage and to three specific attitudes at the post-clinical experience stage. Furthermore, the highly significant positive change in attitudes towards patients' treatment in the post-class stage remained highly significant at the post-clinical experience stage. This confirms that classroom theory, prior to clinical experience, can effect students' attitudes towards patients treatment. In addition, students' evaluative comments, while being critical of some aspects of their clinical placements, did not necessarily affect their attitudes towards the characteristics or treatment of the mentally ill.
authors.affiliation: Western Area College of Nursing, Multi-Disciplinary Education Centre, Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Derry, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*