Preparing master‐level mental health nurses to work within a wellness paradigm: Findings from the eMenthe project

Abstract

Mental health promotion remains an important component of mental health nursing practice. Supporting wellness at both the individual and societal levels has been identified as one of the key tenets of mental health promotion. However, the prevailing biomedical paradigm of mental health education and practice has meant that many nurses have not been equipped to incorporate a wellness perspective into their mental health practice. In the present study, we report on an exploratory study which details the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required by master-level mental health nurses to practice within a wellness paradigm from the perspective of three groups of key stakeholders: (i) service users and family members (n = 23); (ii) experienced mental health nurses (n = 49); and (iii) master-level mental health nursing students (n = 37). The findings, which were reported from individual and focus group interviews across five European countries, suggested a need to reorientate mental health nursing education to include a focus on wellness and resilience to equip mental health nurses with the skills to work within a strengths-based, rather than a deficits-based, model of mental health practice. Key challenges to working within a wellness paradigm were identified as the prevailing dominance of the biomedical model of cause and treatment of mental health problems, which focusses on symptoms, rather than the holistic functioning of the individual, and positions the person as passive in the nurse-service user relationship.

Experiences of community mental health nurses in Japan as the basis of their nursing philosophies

“…European studies argue that while information about recovery models has already been disseminated, various implementation problems have arisen in actual practice, suggesting a need for more thorough paradigm shifts in mental health nursing practice from biomedical models to wellness perspective approaches. To help facilitate these shifts, these researchers suggest enhancing educational curricula in bachelor's and master's degree nursing programs . In this study, however, we embrace a different perspective and focus on the support professionals’ intrinsic energies and motivations as important contributors to this paradigm shift.…”

“…However, many studies in developed countries report that various issues must be addressed in practice based on recovery models. The first issue is inadequate education and training opportunities to practice using a recovery model . Another issue is the use of multiple definitions of “recovery model”, as the term has been used in many areas of mental healthcare, including in acute care settings, in rehabilitation units, and in the community .…”

“…The first issue is inadequate education and training opportunities to practice using a recovery model. [9][10][11] Another issue is the use of multiple definitions of "recovery model", as the term has been used in many areas of mental healthcare, including in acute care settings, in rehabilitation units, and in the community. , [12][13][14][15] In each of these areas, where a biomedical model is predominant, recoveryoriented practice requires coping with consumers' fear of change, while simultaneously reforming professionals' conventional beliefs.…”

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

“…Mental health nursing competencies are built on the fundamental understanding of a holistic concept of health to address clinical interventions that aim at strengthening positive dimensions of health in order to meet the service users’ needs of enhanced overall health (Jormfeldt, 2011; Verhaeghe et al, 2013a; Verhaeghe, De Maeseneer, Maes, Van Heeringen, & Annemans, 2011). Overall health promotion, including facilitating mental, physical, and social health among service users remains an important component of mental health nursing practice at both individual and societal levels (Doyle, Ellila, & Jormfeldt et al, 2017). …”

“…However, the predominant biomedical paradigm of mental health education and practice has predestined that many nurses have not been sufficiently equipped to integrate a holistic perspective of health with a focus on wellness and resilience, rather than deficits, into their mental health practice. Findings, from interviews with stakeholders across five European countries, suggest a need to reorientate mental health nursing education to equip mental health nurses with the skills needed to work with regard to the services users’ needs (Doyle et al, 2017). In this discussion paper, project partners from five European counties were inspired by the QSEN’s KSAs to distinguish the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required by master-level mental health nurses to practice within a paradigm of holistic health with respect to mental health service users’ right to equal physical health.…”