Evidence and practice

Benefits of developing long-term relationships between trainee nursing associates and mental health experts by experience

Katy Willmont Project and experience lead, Professional Education and Development Team, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England

Marie Clancy Senior lecturer, Academy of Nursing, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, England

Sam Chapman Senior lecturer FdSc nursing associate degree programme, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England

Juliet Hopkins Senior lecturer and deputy course lead FdSc nursing associate degree programme, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England

Alison Fleming Clinical practice facilitator, Practice Placement Management Team, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England

Ian Tighe Expert by experience, Recovery Team, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England

Why you should read this article:

• To acknowledge the need for trainee nursing associates to develop their understanding of person-centred mental healthcare
• To recognise the benefits of involving mental health experts by experience (EBEs) in the education of nursing staff
• To read about a project involving the development of long-term one-to-one relationships between trainee nursing associates and EBEs

Stigma around mental illness persists in healthcare practice and education. This article details a project undertaken to develop long-term relationships and facilitate learning between trainee nursing associates and mental health experts by experience (EBEs). The project was evaluated using questionnaires and feedback from the students and EBEs involved. The relationships that developed between students and EBEs had many positive implications for students’ future practice, with benefits including enhanced understanding of person-centred care, the importance and development of communication skills, holistic views of long-term conditions and increased motivation for undertaking a nursing role. The project also had benefits for the EBEs, such as reciprocal learning opportunities, employment experiences and improved health and well-being. The authors suggest that instead of didactic or one-off encounters with EBEs in education settings, long-term EBE involvement should be implemented. This could help to achieve sustainable reductions in the stigma around mental health and increase students’ knowledge of mental health, mental illness and recovery.

Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2023.e1679

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@WillmontKaty

Correspondence

Katy.willmont@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Willmont K, Clancy M, Chapman S et al (2023) Benefits of developing long-term relationships between trainee nursing associates and mental health experts by experience. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2023.e1679

Published online: 24 October 2023

Keywords :

career pathways - education - mental health - nursing associates - patient experience - patients - person-centred care - stigma - support staff

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07 March 2024 / Vol 27 issue 2

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