Master’s level mental health nursing competencies, a prerequisite for equal health among service users in mental health care

Abstract

Purpose: This discussion paper aims to explore the need of a clarified definition of master’s level mental health nursing competencies in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes in a European context. Mental health service users have, in spite of their right to equal overall health, higher rates of physical illness and are more likely to experience premature death than the general population. Implementation of a holistic concept of health comprising mental, physical and social aspects of health in mental health services has previously proved to be challenging. Methods: Master’s level mental health nursing competencies in recent literature are discussed and illuminated in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to enable the promotion of equal overall health among service users in mental health services. Results: The discussion show contents, values and utility of master’s level mental health nursing competencies in mental health services and contribute to reduced role ambiguity by distinguishing master’s level responsibilities from undergraduate nursing tasks and obligations of other professionals in mental health care. Conclusion: This discussion paper shapes implications for developments in master’s level mental health nursing education curricula.

‘In the middle’: A qualitative study of talk about mental health nursing roles and work

“…Mental health nursing roles are reported to be ambiguous by virtue of nurses' engagement in a wide variety of tasks (Jormfeldt et al , ; MacAteer et al , ; Rungapadiachy et al , ) which can lead to nurses lacking identity within healthcare teams, sometimes resulting in perceptions that they lack knowledge or feel powerless. According to McKeown and White (), mental health nursing's relationship to bio‐psychiatry is reflected in the organization of services and challenges nurses report due to professional subordination.…”

Meta Competency: Prerequisites of Msc Psychiatric Nursing Students Promoting. A Qualitative Study

“…In this study, one of the meta-competency dimensions required for postgraduate students of psychiatric nursing is" thinking, and clinical reasoning skills ". In most studies, the importance of critical thinking has been pointed out, including the study of Jormfeldt et. al.…”

“…(2018). They has considered it as one of the individual characteristics (37). In the study Van Der Merwe and Verwey (2007) in addition to the underlying abilities of the profession that develop people's competence, characteristics such as key cognitive ability were introduced as meta-competency (38).…”

The scientific position of Qualitative studies-comprehensive understanding of health and well-being

“…Accordingly, subjective goals and desires of the individual are vital to health and well-being and to the extended understanding of the subjective experiences of contents. The inherent meaning of health and well-being is necessary to advance the competence needed by healthcare professionals (Jormfeldt et al, 2018). Profound understanding of individual experiences of health and well-being is a crucial prerequisite for health professionals to sufficiently be able to support human health and well-being in a numerous of care and support contexts in our society.…”