Abstract
The aims of this study are three-fold: determine the factors that motivate nurses to pursue mental health nursing; identify the strategies that might attract nursing students and practising nurses to pursue mental health nursing as a professional career; and identify the difficulties of nurses in achieving their preferred clinical specialty.
A descriptive qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews was used. Fifteen mental health nurses from rural and regional South Australia were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was undertaken.
Of the fifteen participants, thirteen were females and two were males; their average age was 50 years. The factors that motivated the participants to pursue mental health nursing were categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic. There were many strategies that might attract nursing students and nurses to the field, but the most popular suggestion was the provision of high quality meaningful clinical placements. Other strategies were to convey the personal satisfaction derived from being a mental health nurse, promote mental health nursing aggressively, and provide employment incentives. The study also highlighted the importance of addressing stigma, and greater education and support for nurses to pursue a mental health career.
Acknowledgement:
Department of Rural Health and Country Health SA Local Health Network.
References
Appelbaum, S. H., Habashy, S., Malo, J. L., & Shafiq, H. (2012). Back to the future: Revisiting Kotter’s 1996 change model. Journal of Management Development, 31(8), 764–782. doi:10.1108/02621711211253231Search in Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011). Nursing and Midwifery labour force 2009. AIHW Bulletin no. 90. Cat. no. AUS 139. Canberra: AIHW. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737419682Search in Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2016). Mental health nurse workforce. Retrieved from https://mhsa.aihw.gov.auSearch in Google Scholar
Bita, N. (2013). Australia’s mental illness victims treated dismally, says Allan Fels. Health Problems. Retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/australias-mental-illness-victims-treated-dismally-says-allan-fels/news-story/eedb23db9e315efa1e0dd1c63ea54accSearch in Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. Retrieved from http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a795127197~frm=titlelink10.1191/1478088706qp063oaSearch in Google Scholar
Byrne, L., Platania-Phung, C., Happell, B., Harris, S., & Bradshaw, J. (2014). Changing nursing student attitudes to consumer participation in mental health services: A survey study of traditional and lived experience-led education. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35(9), 704–712. doi:10.3109/01612840.2014.888604Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Carlopio, J., & Andrewartha, G. (2012). Developing management skills: A comprehensive guide for leaders (5th ed.). French’s Forest: Pearson.Search in Google Scholar
Clinton, M., & Hazelton, M. (2000). Scoping mental health nursing education. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 9(1), 2–10. doi:10.1046/j.1440-0979.2000.00155.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Search in Google Scholar
Daly, J., Hill, M. N., & Jackson, D. (2015). Leadership and health care change management. J. Daly, S. Speedy, & D. Jackson, Leadership & nursing contemporary perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 81–90). Chatswood: NSW: Elsevier.Search in Google Scholar
Darling, N. (2007). Ecological systems theory: The person in the center of the circles. Research in Human Development, 4(3-4), 203–217. Retrieved from. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15427600701663023Search in Google Scholar
Drummond, G. (2007). Programme feedback; it only takes a minute? International Journal of Education Management, 21(1), 29–36. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540710716803Search in Google Scholar
Fahrenwald, N. L., Bassett, S. D., Tschetter, L., Carson, P. P., White, L., & Winterboer, V. J. (2005). Teaching core nursing values. Journal of Professional Nursing, 21(1), 46–51. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2004.11.001Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Gough, K., & Happell, B. (2009). Undergraduate nursing students attitude to mental health nursing: A cluster analysis approach. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(22), 3155–3164. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02764.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Grbich, C. (2007). Qualitative data analysis: An introduction. London: Sage Publications.Search in Google Scholar
Happell, B., & Gaskin, C. (2013). The attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards mental health nursing: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22(1/2), 148–158. doi:10.1111/jocn.12022Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Happell, B., Platania-Phung, C., Harris, S., & Bradshaw, J. (2014). It’s the anxiety: Facilitators and inhibitors to nursing students’ career interests in mental health nursing. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35(1), 50–57. doi:10.3109/1612840.2013.837123Search in Google Scholar
Happell, B., Welch, T., Moxham, L., & Byrne, L. (2013). Keeping the flame alight: Understanding and enhancing interest in mental health nursing as a career. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 27(4), 161–165. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2013.04.002Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Harding, T., & Whitehead, D. (2016). Analysing data in qualitative research. In Z. Schneider, D. Whitehead, G. LoBiondo-Wood, & J. Haber (Eds.), Nursing and midwifery research methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice (5th ed., pp. 127–139). Chatswood: NSW: Elsevier Australia.Search in Google Scholar
Hartzell, S. (2016). Reward systems and employee behavior: Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/reward-systems-employee-behavior-intrinsic-extrinsic-rewards.htmlSearch in Google Scholar
Hickey, N., Harrison, L., & Sumsion, J. (2013). Transition to work and the career destinations of double degree nurses. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 45(1), 64–78. doi:10.5172/conu.2013.45.1.64Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Hoekstra, H., Van Meijel, B., & Van Der Hooft-Leemans, T. (2010). A nursing career in mental health care: Choices and motives of nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 30(1), 4–8. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2009.05.018Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Jarrett, C. (2014). Helping those in crisis. Nursing Standard, 28(23), 63. Retrieved from. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns2014.02.28.23.63.s52Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Kumar, S., Kumar, N., Deshmukh, V., & Adhish, V. S. (2015). Change management skills. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 40(2), 85–89. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.153869Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
Murphy, E. (2013). Creating change champions in your organization. Retrieved from https://www.simply-communicate.com/news/top-tips/internal-communication/creating-change-champions-your-organizationSearch in Google Scholar
National Mental Health Commission. (2014). The national review of mental health programmes and services. Sydney: NMHC.Search in Google Scholar
National Mental Health Workforce Strategy and Plan. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/document/national-mental-health-workforce-strategy-and-planSearch in Google Scholar
Penman, J., Martinez, L., Papoulis, D., & Cronin, K. (2016, October 17–19). Enticing new graduates to pursue mental health nursing. 15th Euro Nursing and Medicine Summit (Oral presentation), Rome, Italy.Search in Google Scholar
Prebble, K. (2001). On the brink of change? Implications of the review of undergraduate education in New Zealand for mental health nursing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 10(3), 136–144. doi:10.1046/j.1440-0979.2001.00204.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Reeve, J. (2001). Understanding motivation and emotion (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.Search in Google Scholar
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.Search in Google Scholar
Sabella, D., & Fay-Hillier, T. (2014). Challenges in mental health nursing: Current opinion. Nursing: Research and Reviews, 4, 1–6. doi:https://doi.org/10.2147/NRR.S40776Search in Google Scholar
Schneider, Z., Whitehead, D., LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2016). Nursing and midwifery research: Methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice (5th ed.). Mosby: Elsevier.Search in Google Scholar
Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22, 63–75. doi:10.3233/EFI-2004-22201Search in Google Scholar
Small, A., Gist, D., Souza, D., Dalton, J., Magny-Normilus, C., & David, D. (2016). Using Kotter’s change model for implementing bedside handoff. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 31(4), 304–309. doi:10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000212Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Stead, D. (2005). A review of the one-minute paper. Active Learning in Higher Education, 6(2), 118–131. doi:10.1177/1469787405054237Search in Google Scholar
Stevens, J., Browne, G., & Graham, I. (2013). Career in mental health still an unlikely career choice for nursing graduates: A replicated longitudinal study. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 22(3), 213–220. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2012.00860.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing and Health Sciences, 15(3), 398–405. doi:10.1111/nhs.12048Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Wantz, R. A., Firmin, M. W., Stolzfus, M. J., Ray, B. N., Holmes, H. J., & Geib, E. F. (2012). Undergraduate college students’ perceptions of psychiatric nurses. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(11), 769–776. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2012.711432Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Whitehead, D., & Whitehead, L. (2016). Sampling data and data collection in qualitative research. In Z. Schneider, D. Whitehead, G. LoBiondo-Wood, & J. Haber, Nursing and midwifery research methods and appraisal for evidence-based practice (5th ed, pp. 111–123). Chatswood: NSW: Elsevier Australia.Search in Google Scholar
Yildirim, D., Keçeci, A., & Bulduk, S. (2011). How do Turkish nursing students plan their career after the graduation?: A questionnaire survey. Asia Pacific Education Review, 12(3), 373–380. doi:10.1007/s12564-010-9133-xSearch in Google Scholar
Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2007). Leading and managing in nursing (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.Search in Google Scholar
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
