مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - NURSING STUDENTS’ EVALUATION OF PSYCHIATRY NURSING, MENTAL ILNESSES AND PSYCHIATRIC NURSING EDUCATION

Abstract :

Background: In recent years, the decrease in nursing students’ tendencies in willingly choosing nursing profession and working as psychiatry nurses after graduation attracts attention. It is thought that the students’ perceptions about psychiatry nursing and their opinions about mental disorders are determinant for development of their tendencies in choosing field after graduation (Rushworth ve Happell, 2000; Martin ve Happell, 2001). Objectives: This survey was made to examine the nursing students’ evaluation about psychiatry nursing, mental ilnesses and psychiatric nursing education. Methods: This methodological and descriptive type of research was conducted between January and June 2007 with 220 student nurses at Izmir three schools of nursing who had completed the theoretical and practical portion of psychiatric course. The data were collected, after receiving necessary permission, using three self-report questionnaire forms. A high score from the tools expresses negative beliefs about mental illness and positive opinions about psychiatric nursing and psychiatric nursing education. Data were analyzed using numberpercentage distribution, t test and Pearson Correlation. Results: It was determined that 99.1% of nursing students were female and 46.4% of the nursing students had chosen nursing themselves. Although 29.1% stated that they wanted to work in psychiatric nursing after graduation, 52.2% evaluated the psychiatric nursing theoretic information they received to be inadequate for clinical practice. The Nursing Students Beliefs About Mental Illnesses Inventory score mean was 49.98±15.96 (Max:105), their mean score from PNPS was 61.06±10.48 (Max:85) and their mean score from EFEPN was 64.62±9.64 (Max: 90). Conclusion: The overwhelming majority of student nurses didn’t want to work as psychiatric nurses after graduation. The students’ perception of psychiatry nursing was affected their beliefs about mental illnesses and opinions about psychiatric nursing education. Also, the students opinions about psychiatric nursing affected whether or not they wanted to work as psychiatric nurses (t=3.55, p 0.01).