Journal article
Beyond the Curriculum: Exploring the Influences on Mental Health Nursing as a Career Choice for Undergraduates
Issues in mental health nursing, Vol.47(4), pp.1-9
05/02/2026
PMID: 41642110
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
This study explores undergraduate nursing students' perception of mental health nursing as a potential career path. Utilising a qualitative phenomenographic approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nineteen nursing students enrolled in a comprehensive Bachelor of Nursing program from one metropolitan university located in Melbourne, Australia. Data analysis revealed five distinct categories of description, ranging from unclear role definition and polarised attitudes to a more nuanced understanding of the skills involved. These findings are significant as it illustrates that variations in students' understandings of the mental health nursing role persist even following targeted education, suggesting that deeply held perceptions are not easily shifted within existing curricular approaches.
Details
- Title
- Beyond the Curriculum: Exploring the Influences on Mental Health Nursing as a Career Choice for Undergraduates
- Creators
- Sinead Barry - RMIT UniversityLouise Ward - Southern Cross UniversityRuby Walter - RMIT University
- Publication Details
- Issues in mental health nursing, Vol.47(4), pp.1-9
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 9
- Identifiers
- 991013372625502368
- Copyright
- © 2026 Taylor & Francis group, LLC
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article