Student nurses’ experiences of support in relation to suicide or suicidal behaviours of mental health patients: an exploratory study
| Published date | 14 June 2013 |
| Pages | 76-88 |
| Date | 14 June 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-05-2012-0010 |
| Author | Louise Phillips,Stephanie Tannis‐Ellick,Betsy Scott |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Student nurses’ experiences of support
in relation to suicide or suicidal
behaviours of mental health patients:
an exploratory study
Louise Phillips, Stephanie Tannis-Ellick and Betsy Scott
Louise Phillips is based at the
School of Health Sciences, City
University, London, UK.
Stephanie Tannis-Ellick and
Betsy Scott are based at East
London NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – Observations have been made that mental health students receive very little support following
observing patients displaying suicidal behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a small-scale
empirical study to investigate this issue further.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach used in this study is phenomenological. Qualitative
data were obtained through semi-structured interviews consisting of a range of questions asking
mental health student nurses about their experiences of support in practice. The data are analysed using
thematic analysis.
Findings – As well as issues relating to the support of mental health student nurses in practice, there are
many ethical issues raised in this paper. These include student responsibilities while in placement areas;
students as having a supernumerary status; and the inclusion of students in supervision and debriefing
sessions following traumatic incidents.
Research limitations/implications – This small-scale exploratory study was conducted with a small
number of students in one University. However, the study provides a strong starting point for further
research on the support students receive during their mental health nurse training.
Originality/value – This paper makes some recommendations on ways to improve the support of students
in practice, including maintaining and supporting the role of Practice Experience Managers who spend a
considerable amount of time in placement areas interacting with students and feeding back relevant
practice concerns to University staff.
Keywords United Kingdom, Mental health education, Mental health training, Students,
Training management, Mental health students, Patients, Nursing, Support, Suicidality, Practice, Suicide
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In weekly reflective practice sessions mental health students frequently present case studies of
patients they care for in the placement areas they are assigned to during their mental health
nursing course. In these sessions it has been frequently observed by some facilitators (mental
health nursing lecturers) that students express that they receive very little support following
observing patients displaying suicidal behaviour. Consequently, this has led the author of this
paper to conduct this small-scale empirical study investigating this issue further. There appears
to be a distinct lack of literature available about mental health student nurses’ experiences of
support whilst working with people who may display suicidal behaviour, although there is some
literature on supporting students generally within mental health placement areas (Williamson
and Webb, 2008). This paper aims to bring about awareness of the importance of the provision
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THE JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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VOL. 8 NO. 2 2013, pp. 76-88, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228 DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-05-2012-0010
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