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Abstract Professional placement experiences have been considered as an approach to improving nursing attitudes towards mental health nursing and selection of mental health nursing as a career. Mental health nursing placements are now occurring in less traditional settings, however, published research of these placements remains scarce. The aim of this non-experimental comparative study was to investigate the impact of nursing student participation in a non-traditional placement, compared to participation in traditional placement. Particular focus was on the attitudes of nursing students toward mental health nursing and career preferences. Participants of the intervention group attended the non-traditional placement, (n = 23). Participants of the comparison group attended traditional placement settings (n = 27), including placements in inpatient and community mental health. The study utilised The Preplacement Survey. Results showed significant differences in scores of the non-traditional placement Recovery Camp cohort related to reduced anxiety, reduced negative attitudes, and increased preparedness for mental health. These correlated with a comparatively increased desire to pursue a future career in mental health; albeit not a statistically significant increase. Considering mental health care, in any setting, is highly dependent on the training and ability of nurses to deliver effective service, the findings of the current study are important. Highlights • Non-traditional placements can result in better preparedness for mental health nursing. • Non-traditional placements can result in decreased anxiety to work with people with mental illness. • Non-traditional placements can result in increased desire to pursue a career in mental health; albeit not a statistically significant increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing students across the globe are expected to undertake clinical placements. To date, there have been no studies that have examined the potential educational benefits for undergraduate nursing students engaged in a mental health clinical placement grounded in self-determination theory. The present study examined the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in a mental health clinical placement termed Recovery Camp . An ethnographic methodology within a case study approach was used. The researchers were immersed in the clinical placement, which took place at a YMCA camp facility. Participants were 20 3rd year undergraduate nursing students. To gain insight and understanding, the researchers used interviews, observations, and reflective journals. The constant-comparative method was used to analyse the data. Emergent themes identified from systematic analysis were: (a) social connection and (b) experiential learning. Recovery Camp facilitated a sense of inclusion and positive/supportive behaviour. It also enhanced student learning and understanding of symptoms of mental illness. Findings from this study support and extend findings for the use of therapeutic-recreation based work placement experiences in the clinical education of future nurses. Findings demonstrated a link between this type of placement and undergraduate student's development of deeper knowledge of symptoms and experiences associated with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction 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. Aim To examine the learning experience of Bachelor of Nursing students who undertook an innovative mental health clinical placement known as Recovery Camp . Design 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. Findings 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the importance of perceived control to mental health and recovery, research is needed to determine strategies to increase perceived control for people with a mental illness. Aim: Investigate the implications of a therapeutic recreation program on the perceived control of people with a mental illness. Method: Participants of an intervention group (n = 27) and comparison group (n = 18) completed the Perceived Control Across Domains Scale at three time intervals. Subscale and total scores were analysed. Results and Discussion: Significant variation occurred in the perceived control areas of substance use, personal cognition and personal empowerment. Implications: A unique nurse led therapeutic recreation initiative, such as Recovery Camp, can improve and maintain facets of perceived control among people with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The way people who experience mental illness are perceived by health care professionals, which often includes stigmatising attitudes, can have a significant impact on treatment outcomes and on their quality of life. Objective To determine whether stigma towards people with mental illness varied for undergraduate nursing students who attended a non-traditional clinical placement called Recovery Camp compared to students who attended a ‘typical’ mental health clinical placement. Design Quasi-experimental. Participants Seventy-nine third-year nursing students were surveyed; n = 40 attended Recovery Camp (intervention), n = 39 (comparison group) attended a ‘typical’ mental health clinical placement. Methods All students completed the Social Distance Scale (SDS) pre- and post-placement and at three-month follow-up. Data analysis consisted of a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) exploring parameter estimates between group scores across three time points. Two secondary repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to demonstrate the differences in SDS scores for each group across time. Pairwise comparisons demonstrated the differences between time intervals. Results A statistically significant difference in ratings of stigma between the intervention group and the comparison group existed. Parameter estimates revealed that stigma ratings for the intervention group were significantly reduced post-placement and remained consistently low at three-month follow-up. There was no significant difference in ratings of stigma for the comparison group over time. Conclusions Students who attended Recovery Camp reported significant decreases in stigma towards people with a mental illness over time, compared to the typical placement group. Findings suggest that a therapeutic recreation based clinical placement was more successful in reducing stigma regarding mental illness in undergraduate nursing students compared to those who attended typical mental health clinical placements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic recreation programs utilize leisure to maximize a person's overall health and well-being. The focus of this study is a professional experience placement held within an outdoor recreation center involving student nurses and people with a lived experience of mental illness. The study aimed to explore student nurse's beliefs about their practice within the program setting. An ethnographic case study approach was used to focus on the development of student nurse practice in this setting. The analytic strategy derived the themes of the ethnographic case study, namely 'who's who', 'clinical contrast' and 'recreation as practice'. A non-traditional mental health clinical placement would seem to have the potential in providing a new set of skills and experiences to these future nurses that may complement the scope of recovery-orientated care. The therapeutic recreation program provided the student with an experience where they could develop therapeutic relationships with people a lived experience of mental illness. • This non-traditionalplacement provided experiences for students that developed their understanding of mental health care. • Students utilised the recreation activities they engaged in as mechanisms for developing therapeutic relationships. • These placements have the potential to provide learning experiences that complement the scope of recovery-orientated care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]