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Forensic mental health nurses (FMHN) provide care to address the needs of people who have mental illnesses across a range of diverse settings. The Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) has been identified as a potential framework to assist FMHNs; however, adaptations were required to reflect the unique nature of the clinical setting. This study aimed to explore adaptations made to determine suitability prior to implementation in practice. Nominal Group Technique was used to explore suggested adaptations determined from a previous study and reach a consensus on the changes. Fourteen senior nurses from a state‐wide Forensic mental Health (FMH) service participated. A consensus was reached for two proposed changes. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were interpreted from the data; FMH adaptations are warranted, the focus of the CRC, and who owns the cycle? Nurses in this study considered the need to include offence and risk issues due to the impact these factors have on the therapeutic relationship and cognitive bias; however, they also identified the need to focus on recovery‐oriented care while engaging in clinical reasoning. Nurses in this study also expressed some reluctance for nursing to 'own' the model, due to concern that ownership may cause division among the team or result in inconsistency in care. However, some participant's suggested the CRC with adaptations assisted FMH nurses to articulate their specialist skills and knowledge to others and highlight the nursing contribution to care. Further work is needed to finalize adaptations with a focus on engaging the consumer carer workforce and interdisciplinary team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with depressive symptoms often experience changes in physical activity and lifestyle factors. Despite the benefits of exercise, mental health clinicians often do not refer for or prescribe exercise as part of traditionally accepted models of care for consumers with depression and anxiety. The aims were to investigate: (i) mental health clinicians' understanding of the relationship between exercise and mental health, (ii) if and how exercise is used by mental health clinicians in treatment for depression and anxiety, and (iii) the barriers to prescription of exercise. A descriptive qualitative method was used, and data were collected via individual semi‐structured interviews. Ten mental health clinicians with varying backgrounds participated in this study. The data driven inductive analysis of participants views identified three themes: (i) knowing and not knowing, (ii) consumer comorbidities – the risk and benefit dilemma, and (iii) protecting vulnerable consumers. Enhancing clinicians' knowledge of the beneficial role of exercise in treatment for consumers' experiencing depression and anxiety is an important step. Mental health services can support integration of exercise by implementing policies and training for staff to support exercise prescription, and the role and referral of exercise and physical activity specialists, as part of routine care to improve clinical outcomes for consumers. Additional considerations should be given to fiscal support to access exercise as an adjunct therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health nursing (FMHN) is a specialized field, designed to meet the needs of people who have a serious mental illness across the criminal justice system, inpatient services and community. Frameworks can assist assessment, planning, intervention, documentation and evaluation of nursing care. However, there is no prior research investigating frameworks in FMHN. This study aimed to explore the Nursing Process (NP) and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC), with nurses, to determine a suitable framework for use service‐wide. A Nominal Group Technique was used to facilitate exploration of the two frameworks, where open‐ended verbal and written responses collected from a Nominal Group were thematically analysed, and the participants voted on their preferred framework. Seventeen nurses from a state‐wide forensic mental health (FMH) service participated. The four main themes were as follows: challenges to current practice, limitations of the NP, perceived benefits of the CRC and addressing implementation. Consensus was reached with the nurses selecting the CRC as the framework of choice. This is the first study to explore frameworks to guide practice in FMHN. Nurses in this study considered the CRC to be a suitable framework for novice through to expert, offering a contemporary framework to guide nursing care in complex FMH settings. Some adjustments to the existing cycle were suggested to emphasize recovery‐oriented practice, and inclusion of family and carers. Any changes to the cycle warrant exploration with the interdisciplinary team and consumer carer workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus global pandemic interrupted teaching at Australian universities. Face‐to‐face teaching was replaced by online delivery. This presented challenges for nursing programmes due to the hands‐on teaching requirements and clinical placements. Questions were raised around students' resilience and stress in the face of adversity. This study explored undergraduate nursing students' resilience, challenges experienced, and supports utilized during the pandemic. Convenience sampling recruited students from one nursing programme (n = 340). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC‐25) examined resilience scores through non‐parametric analysis. Narrative responses were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. 121 surveys (40.3%) were completed. Most participants were from second year (n = 77, 63.6%). The difference in median resilience scores among employed participants was statistically significant (P = 0.029) and higher than the unemployed. The median scores of students working in nursing‐related roles were higher than others. Median resilience score across all year levels was 70 (IQR = 62–80), in the lowest score range. Major themes identified were fear of the virus, isolation, and mental health problems. The coping strategies identified were developing daily routines, staying connected, and establishing self‐help techniques. This research has implications to optimize students' learning experience, enhance resilience, and promote mental health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nursing, it is vital that educational techniques are developed to improve students' capabilities to communicate with and assess mental health consumers while on placement. Simulation is a valid learning technique used to prepare students to encounter consumers with mental illness before exposure in the clinical environment. The aim of this study was to explore undergraduate nursing students' experience mental health simulation following their mental health clinical placement. An explorative descriptive qualitative study. Participants were recruited from a metropolitan Melbourne university using purposive convenience sampling. The participants were interviewed after their mental health clinical placement using semi‐structured interview format. A total of n = 14 participants were interviewed. Overall, the participants expressed the fact that the mental health simulation enhanced their clinical placement experience. Two themes were identified: 'The things I might see' and 'Felt better prepared'. There was a total of five subthemes: 'The link between...', 'Having the know how', 'Like an 8‐hour shift', 'Took away the fear factor' and 'Feeling more confident'. It is important that nursing students entering mental health settings receive adequate preparation prior to the commencement of their placements. Students need to be prepared in the areas of building therapeutic relationships, communication, assessment and how to work within a mental health clinical setting. The mental health simulation enhanced students' confidence and better prepared them to undertake their clinical placement which can ultimately affect the care provided to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]