Understanding the impact of mental health placements on student nurses' attitudes towards mental illness.

Student nurses maintain unfavorable views of people with mental health issues. Many continue to perpetuate common stereotypes, are fearful and believe people with mental health problems are in some way dangerous. The impact of placements greatly affects these views.

Global Health Competency Self-Confidence Scale: Tool Development and Validation.

Background: Global health education in tertiary institutions worldwide is at an all-time high. Until recently, most evaluations of student learning from a global exposure was in the form of a reflective paper with little information that would enable standardized assessment of the competencies gained. In 2015, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) published a set of interprofessional global health competencies that were drawn upon to create a Global Health Competency Self-Confidence Scale and workbook.

Population Health Outcomes of a Student-Led Free Health Clinic for an Underserved Population: A Naturalistic Study.

There are a number of hard to reach and underserved communities who experience inadequate health care. In Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples experience low life expectancy, higher levels for chronic disease and elevated smoking and drinking. These problems are further exacerbated when living in regional and rural Australia and poverty.

The New England 4G framework for the treatment of a common health concerns: a gambling case analysis.

Approaches using self-help have proved successful at treating a range of mental and physical conditions. Guidance by a trained worker enhances the effects of self-help materials, in particular those based on Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. In the United Kingdom, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program was introduced to provide better outcomes for people experiencing mild or moderate anxiety and depression.

Developing a student-led health and wellbeing clinic in an underserved community: collaborative learning, health outcomes and cost savings.

Background: The University of New England (UNE), Australia decided to develop innovative placement opportunities for its increasing numbers of nursing students. Extensive community and stakeholder consultation determined that a community centre in rural New South Wales was the welcomed site of the student-led clinic because it fit the goals of the project-to increase access to health care services in an underserved area while providing service learning for students.

Methods: Supported by a grant from Health Workforce Australia and in partnership with several community organisations, UNE established a student-led clinic in a disadvantaged community using an engaged scholarship approach which joins academic service learning with community based action research.

Computer-assisted CBT for depression & anxiety: increasing accessibility to evidence-based mental health treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective nonpharmacological treatment for almost all mental disorders, especially anxiety and depression. The treatment is time limited, encourages self-help skills, is problem focused, is inductive, and requires that individuals develop and practice skills in their own environment through homework. However, most of those with mental health issues are unable to seek help because of factors related to treatment availability, accessibility, and cost.

Rethinking mental health nursing education in Australia: a case for direct entry.

Desperate times call for creative solutions. The mental health workforce shortage has created an opportunity to rethink current and future education and training needs in order to prepare competent and compassionate practitioners to meet the changing demands of consumers and their carers requiring mental heath treatment and support. This article urges consideration of an undergraduate direct entry mental health programme similar to that of midwifery or the nursing foundation/mental health branch programmes of the UK.

Mental health and alcohol and other drug training for emergency department workers: one solution to help manage increasing demand.

Objective: To evaluate a training course for ED staff aiming to improve knowledge and skills in working with mental health and drug/alcohol patients attending EDs.

Methods: Pre- and postcourse questionnaires assessed attitudes and self-ratings of confidence, knowledge and skills in working with these patients. Follow-up interviews assessed if new skills or approaches to patient management had been integrated into daily ED practice.