Mental health nursing students' views of pre-registration nursing.
OBJECTIVE
To inform the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) review of pre-registration nursing by documenting the change priorities as perceived by a group of mental health students.


METHODS
The sample comprised 34 students from one pre-registration mental health nursing cohort. A questionnaire was used to obtain views on the six features the students would like to change and the six features they valued most about the pre-registration nursing course.


RESULTS
The students' views were analysed in relation to the phase two criteria of the NMC review, and the results were listed in rank order. The evaluative comments were grouped into two themes: 'clinical placement experiences' and 'views on learning and teaching strategies'. The students' main change priority was the need to enhance mentor support and the most valued feature was the variety of, and work involved in, clinical placements.


CONCLUSIONS
Recommendations included a physical care skills programme that is specific to mental health; field (discipline)-specific competencies that reflect interprofessional work in mental health; and support provided by mentors and sign-off mentors that complies with the NMC standards.
Wood
Steve
S
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford. steve.wood@anglia.ac.uk
D001290:Attitude; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D008611:Mentors; D013338:Students, Nursing; D006113:United Kingdom