title: Clinical Education In psychiatric mental health nursing: Overcoming current challenges.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In response to current challenges in psychiatric mental health nursing education, nursing schools have implemented new strategies in teaching undergraduate nursing students.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of the study were to evaluate learning outcomes of a mental health nursing clinical practicum and to explore students' perceptions of the clinical practicum.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a mixed-method study. Sixty-three undergraduate nursing students, who were undertaking their first mental health clinical practicum, completed a set of structured questionnaires and answered open-ended questions about the clinical practicum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Answers to open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively, and learning outcomes (i.e., empathy, mental illness prejudice, simulation-related efficacy, and satisfaction) were measured at three time points: pre-clinical, post-simulation, and post-clinical.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students reported improvement in empathy and simulation-related self-efficacy after the clinical practicum, but no change was found in mental illness prejudice. Students' expectations for and evaluation of the clinical practicum are summarized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed improvement in learning outcomes of the clinical practicum may be attributed to the unique contribution of each component of the clinical practicum and the synergic effect of these diverse components. To manage emerging challenges in clinical settings and nursing education, it is critical to develop systematic and comprehensive mental health nursing clinical practicums for undergraduate nursing students.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Heeseung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: bhwang@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Boyoung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sungjae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Heesung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chanhee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011231:Preceptorship; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: empathy; mental health nursing clinical practicum; mental illness prejudice; simulation