Role transition from mental health nurse to IAPT high intensity psychological therapist.

Background: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative has depended on the training of a new NHS mental health workforce. At step 3 of the stepped care model, capacity building has required the recruitment of a wide range of mental health professionals into high intensity therapists training posts. This shift naturally entails role transition on the part of trainees into delivering cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (CBP), but no previous research has examined the experience of such transitions.