Becoming a Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse in the UK: A Qualitative Study Exploring Processes of Identity Formation

Abstract

Identity studies are well established across the social science literature with mental health nursing beginning to offer evidenced insights into what may, or may not, constitute key identity performances. For mental health nursing these performances remain contested, both from within the profession and from international contexts that favour generic constructions of mental health. This paper offers findings from a qualitative study that focused upon the process of how mental health nursing identity development is influenced, rather than what that identity may or may not be. These findings highlight that mental health nurses (MHNs) not only form their identity around service user centred education and training, but that many also use the education as a means to leave the profession. Through highlighting the impact of informal education (i.e., through work), formal education, and training upon the formation of mental health nursing identity, nurses are potentially alerted to the importance of clinically focussed mental health being prominent within curricula, rewarding mental health nursing skills specialisation, and the importance of the role of the service user in mental health nurse education and, hence, identity formation.

Exploring the Views of Nurses on the Cardiometabolic Health Nurse in Mental Health Services in Australia

“…Since the reform of nursing education in Australia in the 1990s, specialist qualifications are no longer required for nursing practice in mental health settings (Happell, 2006;Hurley & Lakeman, 2011), resulting in it being undervalued (Happell & Cutcliffe, 2011). The emphasis on the need for mental health nursing qualifications likely reflects the concern that professional identity may be otherwise further weakened.…”

Does Education Improve Mental Health Practitioners’ Confidence in Meeting the Physical Health Needs of Mental Health Service Users? A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

“…Formal education is often the mechanism for increasing confidence, which in turn becomes a characteristic of a mental health nurse's identity, for example by extending the repertoire of interventions to offer service users (Hurley & Lakeman, 2011). As this was a pilot study, it offers useful insights for the planning of future courses.…”

Caring about the shape of mental health nursing

“…Many authors argue that generalist nursing programmes result in a reduction of career choice paths, especially those into mental health work. Indeed it is suggested that specialisation makes a major contribution to recruitment and retention (Hercelinskyi, 2013;Hurley et al, 2011;Hurley & Ramsay, 2008).…”

“…At present pre-registration nurse education has a generic core, with mental health clinical experience making up 50% of the whole course (2,300 hours of 4,600 hours), highlighting the value of learning in the workplace, a fundamental aspect for nursing students to assume the identity and skills of mental health nursing (Hurley & Lambert Hemmingway 2016Lakeman, 2011. Many authors argue that generalist nursing programmes result in a reduction of career choice paths, especially those into mental health work.…”