Abstract
Background
Meaningful employment can promote emotional and mental health, yet there are concerns around the support offered to those experiencing mental ill health in maintaining or returning to employment.
Aim
To evaluate the delivery of training by mental health nurses to staff in a benefits district in the west of Scotland.
Method
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned the delivery of a training programme for staff involved in job coaching. Six mental health staff from one university delivered training sessions to 61 DWP staff over a period of two months. Topics covered included first impressions, engagement, communication skills and problem-solving. Participants were given five statements about what they had learned during the sessions and were asked to indicate the extent of their agreement to them on a Likert-type scale.
Findings
Participant feedback was mainly positive. Mental health staff involvement was crucial to the success of the training programme.
Conclusion
Participant feedback supported the situated learning concept where learning takes place in the context of its professional application and through the involvement of experts and peer learners. Mental health nurses should be involved in the educational development of other staff groups and organisations involved in mental healthcare.
Meaningful employment can promote emotional and mental health, yet there are concerns around the support offered to those experiencing mental ill health in maintaining or returning to employment.
Aim
To evaluate the delivery of training by mental health nurses to staff in a benefits district in the west of Scotland.
Method
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned the delivery of a training programme for staff involved in job coaching. Six mental health staff from one university delivered training sessions to 61 DWP staff over a period of two months. Topics covered included first impressions, engagement, communication skills and problem-solving. Participants were given five statements about what they had learned during the sessions and were asked to indicate the extent of their agreement to them on a Likert-type scale.
Findings
Participant feedback was mainly positive. Mental health staff involvement was crucial to the success of the training programme.
Conclusion
Participant feedback supported the situated learning concept where learning takes place in the context of its professional application and through the involvement of experts and peer learners. Mental health nurses should be involved in the educational development of other staff groups and organisations involved in mental healthcare.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Mental Health Practice |
| Early online date | 14 Oct 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 14 Oct 2019 |
Keywords
- Education
- Mental health
- Patient experience
- Patients
- Practice learning
- Professional
- Stigma
