Mental health content of Australian pre-registration nursing curricula: Summary report and critical commentary

Terence V. McCann,Kim Usher,Gerald Farrell,Lorna Moxham,Patrick Crookes

doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2009.08.002

Abstract

Concerns have been expressed about inadequate mental health content in generic pre-registration nursing curricula in Australia. These have led to claims new graduates are inadequately prepared to care for patients with mental health issues. The Mental Health Nurse Education Taskforce set up for the purpose of the project by the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council, carried out a national exploration of mental health content in pre-registration nursing curricula in order to develop a framework for including mental health in future pre-registration courses. This paper summarises the Taskforce's report, and presents a critical commentary on several aspects, of the Taskforce's report. The project comprised a literature review, a national survey, national consultations, and advice from an Expert Reference Group. The report sets out a framework, which included the core values underpinning learning and teaching, learning outcomes, learning and teaching principles, and benchmarks for inclusion of mental health content in curricula. It recommended that a national approach needed to be taken to accreditation of curricula. This, together with greater collaboration between universities and clinical agencies, and the adoption of innovative strategies to secure clinical places, will help ensure a consistent adoption of the framework in each state and territory.

Highlights

Many countries are contemplating the most appropriate model of pre-registration nursing education to adopt, including Australia (Department of Education Science and Training. 2002; National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce, 2006) and the United Kingdom (UK) (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2007; Robinson and Griffiths. 2007)
It is important to achieve a sustainable increase in the proportion of mental health theory and clinical education of pre-registration nursing curricula to improve the practice readiness_of gra4uates, of~~ric courses (McCann et aL, 2009; Mental Health Nurse Education Taskforce, 2008; National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce, 2006; Usher. 2006)
A rigid concern over hours would likely exacerbate the difficulty some schools already experience in gaining quality clinical learning environments for their students (National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce. 2006), as well as reinforce the misperception that competency equates merely to hours spent in a clinical area

Summary

Introduction

Many countries are contemplating the most appropriate model of pre-registration nursing education to adopt, including Australia (Department of Education Science and Training. 2002; National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce, 2006) and the United Kingdom (UK) (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2007; Robinson and Griffiths. 2007). Many countries are contemplating the most appropriate model of pre-registration nursing education to adopt, including Australia 2002; National Nursing and Nursing Education Taskforce, 2006) and the United Kingdom (UK) Four models of pre-registration nursing education can be identified, ranging from specialist to generic (Robinson and Griffiths, 2007). Direct entry specialist courses leading to a specialist qualification (e.g. Canada (western provinces), Ireland). -!> The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of the Mental Health Nurse Education Taskforce or the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council. Address: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia.

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