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Purpose The experiences of clinical facilitators working within non-conventional mental health settings have not yet been explored. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of clinical facilitators when facilitating nursing student learning within a non-conventional mental health clinical placement. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative phenomenological approach. The participants in this study were five registered nurses who had facilitated students at a non-conventional mental health clinical placement called Recovery Camp. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted. Findings The facilitators experiences could be understood through two main themes: facilitator skills and opportunities for student learning. Recovery Camp allowed the facilitators to build on their own nursing and facilitation skills, while examining themselves as a mental health nurse. "Being with" students (immersive engagement) enabled opportunistic and rare learning moments. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first known study to explore the experiences of clinical facilitators working in a non-conventional mental health placement.

Aim and objectives: To explore whether nursing student's experiences at Recovery Camp have impacted their current nursing practices. Background: Recently, there has been a move towards more holistic models of nursing care, which seek to break down barriers of stigmatisation and embrace the tenets of self-determination, to acknowledge people with lived experiences of mental illness and their ability to manage their recovery. In that regard, future health professionals such as nursing students will need to be educated in a manner that recognises the importance of lived experience. In this paper, we propose that Recovery Camp, an alternative clinical placement setting model, enhances clinical practice in multiple domains and is beneficial for both nursing practitioners and people with lived experiences of mental illness, as well as offering an effective nontraditional alternative to conventional clinical placement opportunities. Methods: This study employed a phenomenological research design, involving individual semi-structured telephone interviews. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist was adhered to. Results: Three main themes were identified from the analysis: (a) engagement, (b) understanding mental health and (c) holistic care. “I definitely look at people with mental health conditions in a different light.” At Recovery Camp, participants felt that they had greater opportunities for engagement with people with lived experiences, and through this engagement, their preconceptions of mental illness began to change. Conclusions: Recovery Camp may have facilitated the transfer of knowledge that is more person-centred among nursing students, consequently impacting their current nursing practices. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses should be equipped with mental health skills regardless of their career trajectory. While Recovery Camp represents a promising approach to facilitate knowledge transfer, further investigation will be require

Aim and objectives To explore whether nursing student’s experiences at Recovery Camp have impacted their current nursing practices. Background Recently, there has been a move toward more holistic models of nursing care, which seek to break down barriers of stigmatisation and embrace the tenets of self‐determination, to acknowledge people with lived experiences of mental illness and their ability to manage their recovery. In that regard, future health professionals such as nursing students, will need to be educated in a manner that recognises the importance of lived experience. In this paper, we propose that Recovery Camp , an alternative clinical placement setting model, enhances clinical practice in multiple domains and is beneficial for both nursing practitioners and people with lived experiences of mental illness, as well as offering an effective non‐traditional alternative to conventional clinical placement opportunities. Methods This study employed a phenomenological research design, involving individual semi‐structured telephone interviews. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist was adhered to. Results Three main themes were identified from the analysis: 1) engagement, 2) understanding mental health and 3) holistic care. “I definitely look at people with mental health conditions in a different light”. At Recovery Camp , participants felt that they had greater opportunities for engagement with people with lived experiences, and through this engagement their preconceptions of mental illness began to change. Conclusions Recovery Camp may have facilitated the transfer of knowledge that is more person‐centred among nursing students, consequently impacting their current nursing practices. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses should be equipped with mental health skills regardless of their career trajectory. While Recovery Camp represents a promising approach to facilitate knowledge transfer, further investigation will be required to deter

Background: Emotional wellbeing is essential for mental and physical health. Although all university students are vulnerable to psychological distress, nursing students are particularly susceptible, and recognised at higher risk due to the stressful nature of the nursing program. Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the demographic characteristics and emotional wellbeing with regard to levels of anxiety, depression, behavioural control, positive affect and general distress of preregistration nursing students in Australia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional design. Methods: A total of 1381 pre-registration nursing students from two universities in Saudi Arabia and one university in both Australia and South Africa completed the self-report measurement tool, the Mental Health Inventory. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare well-being among pre-registration nursing students in these three countries. Findings: The results revealed that when compared to the Australian and South African cohorts, the Saudi Arabian cohort had significantly higher anxiety (Australia M = 26.79, SD = 8.15; Saudi Arabia M = 33.12, SD = 8.24; South Africa M = 29.48, SD = 7.54), depression, (Australia M = 10.15, SD = 3.65; Saudi Arabia M = 13.10, SD = 4.49; South Africa M = 11.83, SD = 3.72), and lower scores in the Mental Health Inventory (Australia M = 152.44, SD = 28.60; Saudi Arabia M = 138.11, SD = 30.09; South Africa M = 145.67, SD = 26.32). Conclusion: There were statistically significant differences in overall psychological distress and well-being among students in the three countries. Strategies to improve emotional wellbeing and reduce the negative aspects of mental health such as anxiety and depression of preregistration nursing students are needed.

Background: Clinical placements are essential in preparing students for professional practice. Given the serious negative impact of stigma on people with lived experiences of mental illness, it is essential to explore whether the educational setting of a clinical placement can influence mental health stigma. Aims: Using a Self-Determination Theory lens, this study aimed to examine whether the educational setting of a clinical placemen influences the stigma of undergraduate nursing students toward people with lived experiences of mental illness. Design: Quasi-experimental; pre-test post-test. Methods: Ninety-nine undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited nursing program within Australia completed two surveys pre- and post-clinical placement. The surveys measured the educational setting (learning climate) and mental health stigma (social distance). Findings: Students who partook in an Autonomy-Supportive mental health clinical placement reported a significant decrease in stigma from pre-to-post placement, whereas the Balanced/Neutral group reported a significant increase in stigma from pre-to-post-placement. Discussion: The findings of this research have considerable implications for nursing facilitators and preceptors. Those that support autonomy amongst future nursing professionals are more likely to positively influence students’ mental health stigma. Those who do not promote an autonomy-supportive setting may actually worsen mental health stigma. Conclusion: The educational setting in which a clinical placement occurs can influence nursing students’ mental health stigma.

This is a process paper that describes the development of a wellbeing brochure, shared between university researchers, a consumer research advocate, and fully informed by people who are living with mental illness (experts by experience). The purpose of this brochure was to provide strategies for maintaining wellbeing for EBEs, after attending a psychosocial intervention. Brochure development was guided by a mixed-methods research design, using a survey and focus group. The findings illustrate five key themes in EBEs strategies for maintaining wellbeing: good sleep hygiene, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, relaxation techniques and social support. This process paper demonstrates how collaborating with experts by experience represents a valuable approach for developing mental health research and resources.