title: Opportunity lost? The major in mental health nursing in Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ongoing difficulty in educating and sustaining an adequate nursing workforce in mental health settings has been identified throughout the world. Different strategies have been implemented internationally to deal with this situation. In Australia major streams in mental health nursing were introduced in some Australian universities to promote mental health nursing as a viable career choice for nursing students. Fourteen universities had implemented or planned to implement a major stream in mental health nursing. From a survey of these programs a lack of consistency in the structure and content of programs was evident. For most programs the intakes had been relatively small, although retention rates appeared promising.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent majors in mental health nursing introduced in Australia have been sustained since their implementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional design. A survey instrument used in 2010 was readministered in 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schools of Nursing in Australia where a major in mental health nursing had been implemented or planned.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subject and program coordinators.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was administered via email.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 14 majors in mental health nursing originally proposed or implemented, only five were remaining, three had never commenced the program despite plans to do so and six programs once operating had now ceased. Numbers of students undertaking the program have tended to be small. Few modification changes in the structure and content in the majors since initial implementation were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the major in mental health nursing has not been a successful or sustainable strategy, and therefore is unlikely to contribute positively to strengthening the mental health nursing workforce. The availability of sufficient graduate nurses with the interest and skills to pursue a career in mental health nursing is becoming urgent. The adequate resourcing of strategies to address this issue needs to be considered as a matter of priority.
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Institute for Health and Social Science Research, Bruce Hwy, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia; Central Queensland University, Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation, Bruce Hwy, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bruce Hwy, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia. Electronic address: b.happell@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Happell
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Institute for Health and Social Science Research, 90 Goodchap Street, Noosaville 4566, Queensland, Australia; Central Queensland University, Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation, 90 Goodchap Street, Noosaville 4566, Queensland, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, 90 Goodchap Street, Noosaville 4566, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: M.mcallister@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Institute for Health and Social Science Research, Australia; Central Queensland University, Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Australia; Gaskin Research, Australia. Electronic address: drcade@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cadeyrn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gaskin
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Career preferences; Major; Mental health; Nursing; Undergraduate education; Workforce