Clinical Placements in Mental Health: A Literature Review

Abstract

Gaining experience in clinical mental health settings is central to the education of health practitioners. To facilitate the ongoing development of knowledge and practice in this area, we performed a review of the literature on clinical placements in mental health settings. Searches in Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO databases returned 244 records, of which 36 met the selection criteria for this review. Five additional papers were obtained through scanning the reference lists of those papers included from the initial search. The evidence suggests that clinical placements may have multiple benefits (e.g. improving students' skills, knowledge, attitudes towards people with mental health issues and confidence, as well as reducing their fears and anxieties about working in mental health). The location and structure of placements may affect outcomes, with mental health placements in non-mental health settings appearing to have minimal impact on key outcomes. The availability of clinical placements in mental health settings varies considerably among education providers, with some students completing their training without undertaking such structured clinical experiences. Students have generally reported that their placements in mental health settings have been positive and valuable experiences, but have raised concerns about the amount of support they received from education providers and healthcare staff. Several strategies have been shown to enhance clinical placement experiences (e.g. providing students with adequate preparation in the classroom, implementing learning contracts and providing clinical supervision). Educators and healthcare staff need to work together for the betterment of student learning and the healthcare professions.

Can a clinical placement influence stigma? An analysis of measures of social distance

“…(2015) assert that clinical placements are an important component of the nursing curriculum and can have an influence on attitude (Chadwick & Porter, 2014;Happell et al, 2015).…”

Effect of immersive workplace experience on undergraduate nurses’ mental health clinical confidence

“…Clinical placements in mental health settings are one such factor known to increase student confidence of working in mental health settings, particularly when the placement is perceived by students as positive (Happell et al . ). Clinical placements have also been found to reduce anxieties and fears of working in mental health settings and improve attitudes towards people living with mental illness (Feeney et al .…”

“…Further, Happell et al . 's (,b) review of the literature related to clinical placements in mental health found that mental health clinical placements can improve student confidence.…”

Marketing Strategies to Reposition Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Specialty in Student Nurse Education Programs in the United States and China

“…For example, studies have shown that the exposure gained from curriculum and practicum improves the attitudes of student nurses about mental health nursing [25,26,33]. These studies emphasize the importance of establishing closer working relationships between schools of nursing and clinical settings to ensure that nursing students have opportunities to: (1) be actively involved in patient care, (2) be exposed to a positive clinical environment, and (3) have a more comprehensive understanding about PMHN and patients with mental disorders [34]. Anxiety is a strong factor negatively affecting a student nurse's likelihood of entering PMHN, and a sense of preparedness diminishes this anxiety [35], which can be accomplished through arranging positive clinical placements for the students throughout the educational experience.…”