Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Experiences of Mental Health Practicums: Findings from a Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Study

Time: 12-1pm

Abstract: Mental health challenges are one of the leading health care concerns today, and while nurses should be well-positioned to provide care to this population, research demonstrates that nursing students are not adequately prepared for this role. To better understand the reasons contributing to this gap, this qualitative study explored nursing students’ experiences within their mental health practicums. Using a narrative inquiry approach, individual interviews were conducted with 15 nursing students from the UBC Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program following their mental health practicums. This presentation will discuss study findings, including students’ observations of mental health inpatient nurses holding power over patients and frequently providing inadequate or unsafe care, and students’ various strategies for resisting power within this setting. Implications of this study for students, instructors, and practitioners will also be addressed.

Bio: Allie Slemon is currently a PhD student in the School of Nursing at UBC, and completed her MSN at UBC in 2017. Her background is in mental health nursing, and she worked as a Clinical Associate in the N335 undergraduate mental health course at UBC for three years. In addition to her graduate studies, she is currently working as a Research Assistant on a variety of projects focusing on health equity, mental health, and nursing education.