Comparison of nursing undergraduates＇ attitude towards patients with mental disorder between before and after their nursing practice in the psychiatric department

Abstract

Objective To investigate the change of nursing undergraduates ＇ attitude towards patients with mental disorder between before and after their nursing practice in the psychiatric department .Methods One hundred and fifteen students were selected and provided an internship program delivered by the Nursing Department to practice in the Psychiatric Hospital .All of nursing undergraduates were investigate with stigma scale towards people with mental disorder and the change of their attitude towards patients with mental disorder were compared between before and after their nursing practice .Results After nursing practice, the total score of the stigma scale among nursing undergraduates was （40.90 ±14.84）, the score of dangerous dimension was （13.56 ±5.44）, and the score of social isolation dimension was （22.09 ±9.55）, which were all lower than those before nursing practice , these differences were statistically significant （t =3.86, 4.02, 3.02, respectively;P〈0.01）.The score of contact scale among nursing undergraduates after nursing practice was （3.64 ±1.29） and higher than that before practice with （2.96 ±0.67）, the difference was statistically significant （t=-3.68;P〈0.01）.The nursing undergraduates ＇ willingness to work in the psychiatric hospital increased to 71.3%after nursing practice from 49.6%before nursing practice , the difference was statistically significant （χ2 =230.00, P〈0.01）.Conclusions The clinical nursing practice for nursing undergraduates in the psychiatric department can reduce their discrimination against patients with mental disorder . Key words: Mental disorder; Nursing undergraduate ; Department of psychiatry; Nursingpracitce; Attitude