Loading...
Perceptions from the front line: Professional identity in mental health nursing
Hercelinskyj, Gylo Cruickshank, Mary T. Brown, Peter A. Phillips, Brian N.
Hercelinskyj, Gylo
Cruickshank, Mary T.
Brown, Peter A.
Phillips, Brian N.
Abstract
In the context of a growing population of people experiencing mental illness worldwide, mental health nurses are a crucial workforce. Their recruitment and retention, however, is in decline. Drawing on qualitative data obtained from interviews with mental health nurses (MHN) in Victoria, Australia, the paper employs a range of concepts from role theory to explore professional identity within mental health nursing. The data highlight three key issues in relation to the future recruitment and retention of MHN: (i) the ambiguity of the MHN role; (ii) the weak definition and lack of understanding of the scope of the MHN role by nursing students; and (iii) a lack of communication about MHN as a profession to a wider audience. These findings indicate three avenues through which recruitment and retention in mental health nursing could be improved: (i) public communication; (ii) training and educating of the next generation of MHN; and (iii) more accurately defining the role of the MHN
Keywords
identity, mental health nurse, qualitative, recruitment and retention, role
Date
2014
Type
Journal article
Journal
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
Book
Volume
23
Issue
1
Page Range
24-32
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled