These themes may be useful in designing learning activities to promote effective interprofessional communication.

No abstract

As a component of an undergraduate nursing program evaluation, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the psychiatric clinical learning site on students' attitudes toward mental illness and psychiatric nursing. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was utilized. The dependent measures included an Environmental Rating Scale, an Attitude Toward Mental Illness Scale, and an Attitude Toward Psychiatric Nursing Scale. The non-probability sample of convenience included 45 students enrolled in the senior level psychiatric nursing module of a baccalaureate nursing program at a midwest, metropolitan liberal arts college. The subjects were randomly assigned to a Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center and a private hospital. The results indicated that after controlling for students' attitudes toward mental illness and psychiatric nursing prior to the psychiatric nursing module, clinical site location did not account for any significant variance in students' attitudes after the module. However, correlation analysis of the specific components of the Environmental Rating Scale did demonstrate statistically significant associations with a decrease in authoritative, restrictive attitudes toward mental illness, and an increase in the milieu therapy and community mental health orientations to psychiatric nursing.

The impact of decreasing faculty numbers on the nursing shortage has been well documented. Mentoring is recognized as the most significant way to grow and nurture nurse educators. The purpose of this article was to describe the Teaching Mentorship Program within the College of Nursing Department of Biobehavioral Health Science at a Midwestern state university. The program activities are designed to facilitate new faculty members' transition from the role of nurse clinician to the role of nurse educator, to support the implementation of evidence-based teaching practices, and to encourage the development of teaching scholarship. Outcomes of the program include retention of new faculty, improved student satisfaction with the quality of instruction, and increased teaching scholarship activities. The program demonstrates the three hallmarks of an effective mentoring program. First, the program is supported by an institutional culture that values mentoring and provides it with an organizational home. Second, the Associate Department Head and primary mentor has been an educator for 37 years with expertise in curriculum development, program evaluation, and teaching methodologies. Third, because the associate department head's principle role is to implement the program and serve as the primary mentor, her commitment is to provide flexible, timely access to faculty.