Mental health nurses' views and experiences of working with undergraduate nursing students: A descriptive exploratory study

Background: The core of pre-registration nursing education is the learning that takes place during the clinical placement. However, despite the fact that registered nurse preceptors are key players in supporting students during their placements there is a lack of literature examining the views of preceptors working with nursing students in mental health settings. Objectives: To explore mental health nurses' views and experiences of working with undergraduate nursing students and determine what factors influence this experience. Design: A descriptive exploratory study approach using an on-line questionnaire was adopted for this study. Settings: A specialist mental health service (SMHS) within one District Health Board in New Zealand. Participants: 89 registered nurses who had been involved in working with nursing students participated in this study. Methods: Data was collected using an online questionnaire. Results: The majority of the respondents in this study reported that they felt confident and well supported in the work they did with nursing students and had a positive perception of this role. However, one significant negative factor identified was the extra stress and workload pressure they reported when working with students, when no allowance was made for this. Another key finding was that engaging in some form of education related to the preceptorship role was positively correlated with nurses knowing what was required of them, feeling confident, the extent to which they planned clinical education, and feeling that they were sufficiently appreciated. Conclusions: Ensuring nurses have access to education related to clinical teaching and learning increases their confidence in the work they do with nursing students and has also been shown to have a positive impact on how they view this role.