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Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is an effective model of brief psychotherapy., Evidence suggests that nurses can be trained to deliver SFBT with only a few days training., It has been argued that SFBT reflects the core values of nursing practice, but no empirical research has been undertaken to validate this assertion., What does this paper add to existing knowledge? This is the first time the impact of such training on nurses' sense of professional and personal identity has been explored., Drawing upon data derived from twenty interviews, this paper explores the key themes reported by nurses in relation to their personal experience of training in SFBT., This paper extends our understanding of the lived experience of mental health nurses and facilitates discussion on the preparation and practice of their role., What are the implications for practice? Training in SFBT can provide a framework for nurses to empower their clients/patients to take control of their own recovery in a shared and trusting relationship., Training in SFBT can enhance nurses' sense of trust in their clients., Training in solution-focused interactions may provide a framework for many nurses to provide the type of collaborative, patient-led care they aspire to., Abstract Introduction SFBT is a psychotherapeutic model that aims to 'build solutions' rather than 'solve problems'. It has evolved into a structured communication framework utilized across a range of disciplines, focusing on the future, as opposed to the past, and on participant's strengths and abilities, as opposed to their problems and deficits. There have been no studies exploring the experience of training in SFBT from the perspective of the nurses being trained. Aim This study sought to explore the experience of nurses who had completed a six-month training course in SFBT. Methods Using a qualitative methodology, 20 nurses who had undertaken SFBT training were interviewed at various locations across Scotland. Results Five main themes emerged from analysis of the 20 interviews. Many of the participants reported increased trust in their clients and enhanced role satisfaction. Implications for Practice Training in SFBT provides nurses with an alternative model of practice to the dominant 'medical' and 'psychological' models of contemporary practice. The experiences of the participants in this study suggest that SFBT can be a useful intervention in nursing practice and that nurses can easily incorporate SFBT into their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores themes relevant to mental health nursing using the example of one educational module of a nursing degree. The authors argue that the educational preparation of mental health nursing students in higher education must address certain contested philosophical, conceptual, social and ethical dimensions of contemporary mental health care practice. These themes are discussed within the context of a third-year mental health nursing module within a Scottish nursing degree programme. By interlinking epistemology and ontology, the notion of student as 'critical practitioner', involving the encouragement of 'critical thinking', is developed. This is shown via engagement with parallel perspectives of the sciences and the humanities in mental health. Narratives of student nurse engagement with selected literary texts demonstrate the extent to which issues of knowledge, self-awareness and personal development are central to a student's professional journey as they progress through an academic course. The paper concludes by suggesting that these 'critical perspectives' have important wider implications for curriculum design in nursing education. Insights from critical theory can equip nurse educators to challenge consumerist tendencies within contemporary higher education by encouraging them to remain knowledgeable, critical and ethically sensitive towards the needs of their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary Clinical supervision (CS) is a valuable resource for mental health nurses. Through guided reflection and supportive facilitation, the recipient of CS works towards developing their therapeutic practice., In many parts of the UK, the implementation of CS does not equate to best practice. This provision undermines and thwarts the potential gains that effective CS can produce., The development of a database of clinical supervisors may ensure that best practice guidelines are implemented., Information about a database that focuses on clinical supervisors of psychological therapies, including its rational, clarifying the intention of CS, and criteria of supervisors, are described., Abstract Clinical supervision (CS) is regarded as a valuable resource for mental health nursing. While there is considerable anecdotal reports of its implementation throughout the UK, these attempts are not without difficulty. A common tension reported in the literature relates to its provision being more akin to managerial supervision within a line-management hierarchy which jars with its original intention and spirit. This paper will provide a discussion on the implementation of CS in mental health nursing in the UK, beginning with its suggested importance for the discipline. Following on from this, the rationale for a CS database and description of one NHS Board's attempts at developing a resource, initially focusing on clinical supervisors of psychological therapies, will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute psychiatric inpatient care forms an integral part of mental health services. Few studies have focussed on the patient experience of acute care. Research into patient experience is increasingly important to policy and service development processes. Knowledge of patient experiences facilitates the development of nursing practice. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the experience of being a patient on an acute inpatient psychiatric ward. Thirteen participants were recruited from the acute ward. Unstructured interviews were used to gather narrative data of their experiences. Holistic analysis of the narratives was informed by Gee's socio-linguistic theories that meaning is linked to narrative structure. Reading of the holistic analyses yielded themes of help, safety and power running across the participants' experiences. The patient experience was characterized by dissonance between expectation and experience, the search for a nurse--patient relationship and the development of strategies to cope with being on the acute ward. This paper focuses on the theme of 'Help' where participants describe their expectation that they will receive help through the development of relationships with the nurses, and their experience of the barriers to this. In response, participants developed strategies to support each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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