Nursing students' reflections on the learning experience of a unique mental health clinical placement.
BACKGROUND
There exists a need for innovative thinking to identify new clinical placement opportunities for nursing students. Recovery-based clinical placements for mental health nurse students remain unique and require investigation.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the learning experience of Bachelor of Nursing students who undertook an innovative mental health clinical placement known as Recovery Camp.


METHODS
This study incorporated qualitative analysis of written reflections. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six phases of thematic analysis the corpus of student reflections were reviewed by three members of the research team independent to each other.


RESULTS
Four themes emerged. The theme of Pre-placement Expectations incorporates participant foci on pre-conceptions of Recovery Camp. The theme of Student Learning incorporates the ways in which participants recognised the experience of Recovery Camp influenced learning. Reflections themed under the title Placement Setting include discussion of the Recovery Camp as a clinical placement. The theme of Future Practice incorporates students' reflections on how they plan to practice as nurses as a result the learning experiences of Recovery Camp.


CONCLUSIONS
An immersive clinical placement such as Recovery Camp can influence students' perceptions of people with mental illness, have a positive impact on student learning and influence students' decisions about future practice. The learning experience of nursing students whom attend unique, recovery-orientated clinical placements can be both positive and educative.
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: cpatters@uow.edu.au.
Christopher
C
Patterson
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: lmoxham@uow.edu.au.
Lorna
L
Moxham
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: reneeb@uow.edu.au.
Renee
R
Brighton
Global Challenges Program, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: elliejo@uow.edu.au.
Ellie
E
Taylor
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: sliersch@uow.edu.au.
Susan
S
Sumskis
School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: dperlman@uow.edu.au.
Dana
D
Perlman
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Mental Health Services, Australia. Electronic address: tim.heffernan@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
Tim
T
Heffernan
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, NSW 2500, Australia. Electronic address: hadfield@uow.edu.au.
Louise
L
Hadfield
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D010465:Perception; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Clinical placement; Mental health; Nursing education; Recovery Camp; Student critical reflections