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‘Coaching and Peer Assisted Learning’ (C‐PAL) ‐ the mental health nursing student experience: a qualitative evaluation

  • Mark Wareing
    ,
  • Helen Green
    ,
  • Barbara Burden
    ,
  • Sally Burns
    ,
  • Mary Beckwith
    ,
  • Fortune Mhlanga
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Introduction: This paper presents findings from a study that evaluated mental health nursing students’ experience of a team mentoring model called Coaching and Peer Assisted Learning (C-PAL). At present there are no published research studies into the effectiveness of team mentorship utilised by nursing students within inpatient mental health settings. Aim: The study utilised an interpretist methodology where the focus was on individuals in their social world. Method: Two focus groups were held with fifteen students who had experienced C-PAL in four in-patient wards. Findings: Students’ overall experience of piloting C-PAL was positive. Learning opportunities (Theme 3) appeared to be dependent on the quality of peer support (Theme 5) which in turn, enhanced the learner experience and increased the level of student confidence (Theme 6). Less positive experiences included inadequate preparation (Theme 1), poor understanding of the model and competition for learning experiences. Implications for practice: We tentatively suggest that team mentorship models such as C-PAL may be suitable for acute in-patient mental health settings. The success of C-PAL depends upon the preparation of nursing staff, mentors (Theme 4), coaches and students in relation to role expectations, shift rostering (Theme 2) and the implementation of ‘huddling’ to promote opportunistic learning.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 486-495

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (Volume 25, Issue 8)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 08/08/2018

Publication status

Published - 08/08/2018

ISSN

1351-0126

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/622854
  • Scopus: 85053779062

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