Majors in mental health nursing: issues of sustainability and commitment.

Purpose: Major streams in mental health nursing in undergraduate nursing programs were introduced in Australia as a strategy to address current and projected workforce shortages. Of the 14 programs originally planned or implemented, only five are continuing.

Design And Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted involving in-depth interviews with representatives of universities that had ceased the major streams or abandoned plans to introduce them.

Proposed nurse-led initiatives in improving physical health of people with serious mental illness: a survey of nurses in mental health.

Aims And Objectives: To identify nurse perceptions on the potential value of general and specific nursing approaches to improving physical health outcomes of people with serious mental illness.

Background: People diagnosed with serious mental illnesses experience heightened rates of physical illnesses and can be supported better via healthcare system prevention and management. Nurses working in mental health are a critical part of a system-wide approach to improving physical health care, but there is little known on their views on specific approaches within Australia (e.

Reduced ambivalence to the role of the cardiometabolic health nurse following a 6-month trial.

Purpose: To determine the changes in attitudes toward the inclusion of a cardiometabolic health nurse for the physical healthcare management of people with serious mental illness following a 6-month trial.

Design And Methods: Repeated survey of nurses working in a regional mental health facility.

Findings: Nurses working in mental health were initially supportive of the role.

Communication with colleagues: frequency of collaboration regarding physical health of consumers with mental illness.

Purpose: To identify how frequently nurses in mental health services communicate about physical health of consumers with other healthcare professionals, and whether such collaboration is associated with physical care actions with consumers.

Design And Methods: An online national Australian survey of nurses in mental health services.

Findings: Nurses discuss physical health frequently with general practitioners, psychiatrists, and case managers, and less frequently with occupational therapists, social workers, and nurse practitioners.

NE: Envisioning a process to support transition from nurse to educator.

Abstract Rising health inequities, continuing nursing shortages, and overlooked professional development needs of nurse educators are three important issues facing nursing in Australia. This paper argues for an innovative and proactive strategy that could transform the nurse education workforce into one that is repopulated, reinvigorated and refocused. The problem facing nurse educators, and subsequently affecting nurses' preparation for practice and longevity in the profession, was identified by drawing on findings from the literature, extensive educational experience, and an exploratory study of nurse educators working in universities, colleges and health services.

Opportunity lost? The major in mental health nursing in Australia.

Background: The ongoing difficulty in educating and sustaining an adequate nursing workforce in mental health settings has been identified throughout the world. Different strategies have been implemented internationally to deal with this situation. In Australia major streams in mental health nursing were introduced in some Australian universities to promote mental health nursing as a viable career choice for nursing students.

Power, effects, confidence, and significance: an investigation of statistical practices in nursing research.

Objectives: To (a) assess the statistical power of nursing research to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes; (b) estimate the experiment-wise Type I error rate in these studies; and (c) assess the extent to which (i) a priori power analyses, (ii) effect sizes (and interpretations thereof), and (iii) confidence intervals were reported.

Design: Statistical review.

Data Sources: Papers published in the 2011 volumes of the 10 highest ranked nursing journals, based on their 5-year impact factors.

On exploratory factor analysis: a review of recent evidence, an assessment of current practice, and recommendations for future use.

Exploratory factor analysis (hereafter, factor analysis) is a complex statistical method that is integral to many fields of research. Using factor analysis requires researchers to make several decisions, each of which affects the solutions generated. In this paper, we focus on five major decisions that are made in conducting factor analysis: (i) establishing how large the sample needs to be, (ii) choosing between factor analysis and principal components analysis, (iii) determining the number of factors to retain, (iv) selecting a method of data extraction, and (v) deciding upon the methods of factor rotation.

Self-reported health, health behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of regional mental health consumers.

Purpose: This article reports baseline data from a randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of a specialist cardiometabolic healthcare nurse on physical health care.

Design And Methods: Survey of community-based mental health consumers randomized to a cardiometabolic health nurse intervention.

Findings: Findings show a high prevalence of respiratory conditions, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and low quality of life.

How nurses cope with occupational stress outside their workplaces.

Nursing is acknowledged as a stressful occupation, and the negative impact of high stress levels have been widely researched. Less attention has been paid to methods for coping with stress. The researchers conducted a study to explore and identify how nurses cope with work-related stress away from their work environments.

The importance of communication for clinical leaders in mental health nursing: the perspective of nurses working in mental health.

Communication has been identified as an important attribute of clinical leadership in nursing. However, there is a paucity of research on its relevance in mental health nursing. This article presents the findings of a grounded theory informed study exploring the attributes and characteristics required for effective clinical leadership in mental health nursing, specifically the views of nurses working in mental health about the importance of effective communication in day to day clinical leadership.

Exercise for mental illness: a systematic review of inpatient studies.

A substantial body of evidence supports the role of exercise interventions for people with a mental illness. However, much of this literature is conducted using outpatient and community-based populations. We undertook a systematic review examining the effect of exercise interventions on the health of people hospitalized with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders.

Authenticity, creativity and a love of the job: experiences of grassroots leaders of mental health nursing in queensland.

The strength of mental health nursing and its potential contribution to improved consumer outcomes depends upon strong and clearly articulated leadership. However, studies of leadership have tended to focus on nurses holding senior positions rather than exploring the leadership embedded in clinical work. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken with identified mental health nurse leaders in one Australian state, in order to explore their experiences and what they found to be most meaningful in their work.

Keeping the flame alight: understanding and enhancing interest in mental health nursing as a career.

Mental health nursing is not regarded favourably by most Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students as a desirable career option. However, little is known about what attracts those students who do become interested. The primary aim of the current study was to explore BN students' reasons for choosing to undertake the major in mental health nursing and the degree to which completing the subject: "Recovery for mental health nursing practice", confirmed that interest or otherwise.

An exercise prescription primer for people with depression.

A substantial body of evidence supports the value of exercise in the treatment of people with depression. The guidelines for exercise prescription, however, are limited, and based on those developed for healthy populations. This article explores the evidence for exercise in the treatment of depression and the role mental health nurses may play in the delivery of this information.

Access to dental care and dental ill-health of people with serious mental illness: views of nurses working in mental health settings in Australia.

People with serious mental illness experience higher rates of oral and dental health problems than the wider population. Little is known about how dental health is viewed or addressed by nurses working with mental health consumers. This paper presents the views of nurses regarding the nature and severity of dental health problems of consumers with serious mental illness, and how often they provide advice on dental health.

Interdevice baseline signal magnitude variability of the ActivPAL3 activity monitor.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interdevice variability in baseline signal magnitude of the ActivPAL3 (PALTechnologies, Glasgow, UK) activity monitor. Twenty consecutively numbered ActivPAL3 triaxial physical activity monitors were assessed for baseline signal magnitudes oriented in the X (vertical standing), Y (side lying), and Z (lying flat) planes. Data was recorded for 60s in each orientation and the three orthogonal axes were analysed for baseline signal magnitude each orientation.

Cardiometabolic health nursing to improve health and primary care access in community mental health consumers: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: People with a serious mental illness are at significantly greater risk of poor cardiometabolic health with recent studies showing a greater than two-fold increase in the risk of obesity, infectious diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Contributing factors to this disparity include poorer health behaviours such as suboptimal physical activity, poor diet, smoking, alcohol and illicit drug misuse. In particular, the limited access to primary health care experienced by people with a serious mental illness has been highlighted.

Access to physical health care for people with serious mental illness: a nursing perspective and a human rights perspective-common ground?

Relative to the general population, people with serious mental illness (SMI) experience elevated risks of physical disease and illness and live shorter lives. A human rights perspective argues that people with serious mental illness have a right to equal access to physical health care. Nurses in mental health services can contribute to improving the availability and accessibility of physical health care.

Nurses and stress: recognizing causes and seeking solutions.

Aims: To identify, from the perspectives of nurses, occupational stressors and ways in which they may be reduced.

Background: Nurses commonly experience high levels of occupational stress, with negative consequences for their physical and psychological health, health-care organisations and community. There is minimal research on reducing occupational stress.

Exercise and the treatment of depression: a review of the exercise program variables.

Objectives: There is growing interest in the use of exercise in the treatment of depression. A number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated a reduction in depressive symptoms with both aerobic and non-aerobic exercise interventions. This has been supported in a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Consumer involvement in the tertiary-level education of mental health professionals: a systematic review.

A systematic review of the published work on consumer involvement in the education of health professionals was undertaken using the PRISMA guidelines. Searches of the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO electronic databases returned 487 records, and 20 met the inclusion criteria. Further papers were obtained through scanning the reference lists of those articles included from the initial published work search (n = 9) and contacting researchers in the field (n = 1).

Reflecting on holistic nursing: the contribution of an academic with lived experience of mental health service use.

The educational preparation of registered nurses is presumed to reflect a holistic approach with emphasis on the bio-psycho-social model of care. The broader literature suggests this goal is not always realised. The aim of this study is to present the views, experiences, and perceptions of undergraduate nursing students who were taught by an academic with a lived experience of mental health service use.

Are nurses in mental health services providing physical health care for people with serious mental illness? An Australian perspective.

People with serious mental illness are at high-risk for physical illnesses and premature death, and nurses can contribute to ensuring mental health services address these risks. There is very little research examining the role of nurses in mental health who provide physical health care. To identify the levels of participation in physical health care of people with serious mental illness (SMI), a national Internet-based survey of nurses working in mental health in Australia was conducted (n = 643).

Physical health care for people with mental illness: training needs for nurses.

Aim: People diagnosed with serious mental illness have higher rates of physical morbidity and decreased longevity, yet these people are not adequately served by health care systems. Nurses may provide improved physical health support to consumers with serious mental illness but this is partly dependent on nurses having necessary skills and interest in training opportunities for this component of their work. This survey investigated Australian nurses' interest in training across areas of physical health care including lifestyle factors, cardiovascular disease, and identifying health risks.