title: Undergraduate college students' perceptions of psychiatric nurses.
abstract: We surveyed undergraduate students' perceptions of psychiatric nurses' effectiveness and analyzed other sources of data. Students reported that psychiatric nurses' strengths include helping in situations that involve psychiatric symptoms, mental health evaluation, and drug abuse. Psychiatric nurses also were said to be effective when helping an individual with psychiatric symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations. Friends or associates, common knowledge, school and education, and movies are some sources by which students learn about psychiatric nurses. Sources that provided less influential information include insurance carriers, newspapers, and personal experience.
authors.affiliation: Wright State University, College of Education and Human Services, Dayton, Ohio 45435, USA. rick.wantz@wright.edu
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wantz
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Firmin
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stolzfus
authors.forename: Brigitte N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Hannah J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Ellen F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Geib
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002321:Career Choice; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult