Learning about mental health nursing: Linking threshold concepts to practice

Abstract

Objectives/purpose: : To examine how a story involving threshold concepts can be used as stimulus material for student nurses involved in mental health care. Methods: Case study research conducted in Australia collected 100 stories told by nurses working in mental health settings which were written down and then analysed to determine their clinical and educational purpose. This paper focuses on one of these stories because its complexities offer an introduction to the role of the therapeutic relationship in mental health nursing care. Results: This single story provides many insights into the role of the clinical mental health nurse and when used as stimulus material for nursing students combined with a framework for enquiry it also an example of how a story may be used to illuminate a threshold concept such as the therapeutic relationship. Conclusions: When choosing learning materials, it is important to i) identify an actual situation that the student might encounter, then ii) identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by the practitioner in this situation before iii) outlining the appropriate level of objective expected for students investigating this situation to achieve and then iv) listing the threshold concepts from the various disciplines that will be developed from exploring this situation.