title: Improving the undergraduate clinical placement experience in mental health nursing.
abstract: Recruitment in mental health nursing is an international problem. Improving the undergraduate clinical placement experience may help to attract students into mental health nursing. In this paper, the authors describe the development and evaluation of a clinical facilitation program aimed at improving the placement experience. Students were surveyed about their attitudes to mental health nursing before and after placement. Based on the results from 254 pre-placement and 248 post-placement surveys there was a large significant increase in students' interest in mental health nursing following clinical placement. Data collected from focus groups also indicated that facilitators, students, and clinical nurses all viewed the program positively.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Louise_Obrien@wsahs.hsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buxton
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gillies
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011361:Professional Competence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing