Background: Clinical experience is an important way of resolving preregistration challenges. Negative feelings toward pursuing a career in mental health nursing may be modified by well-structured practicums.
Aims: To explore nursing student perspectives of clinical practicums in mental health in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of enhancement of nurse education in mental health care.
Methods: This qualitative study used thematic analysis from semistructured focus group interviews of 20 female undergraduate nursing students. Inductive outcomes and emergent conceptual data were reviewed by investigators, doctoral prepared faculty peers, and members of the sample. NVivo 10.1 software was used to suggest conceptual groupings into themes based on inductive codes.
Results: The core theme-enhancement of mental health care skills-comprised four emerging subthemes, including the application of theory for clinical improvement, positive feelings, and motivation toward removal of discrimination and stigmatization, experience with apprehension, anxiety, fear, and stress, and therapeutic communication skills.
Discussion: Clinical placement in mental health-related practice may assist undergraduate nursing students in addressing anxiety and stress related to contacting patients, confronting stigmatizing and negative emotions, applying theoretical knowledge to clinical practice, having therapeutic communication skills, and enhancing overall professional experiences of nursing students. It is hoped that undergraduate clinical mental health placement will contribute valuable skills and viewpoints to nursing students who aim to enter professional practice in all areas and especially mental health.
Keywords: clinical experience; clinical placement; mental health nursing; nursing student.