REPORT: The Decider Life Skills with mental health student nurses

Eimar O'Sullivan and Eimear Gogan identified that student mental health nurses were dealing with more stress than other students and aimed to explore the effectiveness of CBT oriented skills training (The Decider Life Skills) 

 

 

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The Decider Life Skills training as a method of promoting resilience with mental health student nurses on clinical placement

By Eimear O’Sullivan, Eimear Gogan, Louise Doyle, Grainne Donohue

 

University nursing students face higher levels of stress than those in other undergraduate programmes with 67% of student nurses report significant levels of distress during their training.

Studies have shown students with higher levels of resilience have improved sense of well-being thus enhancing their academic performance.

This trial study worked with a group of student mental health nurses practising The Decider Life Skills to increase their resilience. 

 

Aims of the pilot study

  • To explore the effectiveness of a CBT orientated skills training (The Decider Life Skills) [6] with mental health student nurse’s experience of practice placement

  • To promote resilience & thus improving sense of well-being for mental health nursing students & enable them to become more reflective, resourceful & responsible during their clinical practice placement

 

Published:  Nurse Education in Practice

Volume 56, October 2021, 103222

 

Highlights

  • The Decider Life Skills had a positive influence on participants’ clinical placement.
  • The skills were understandable and easily applied professionally and personally.
  • Participants’ used skills during their interactions with staff when receiving feedback.
  • Training increased participants’ confidence in facilitating service-user groups.
  • Training improved participants’ self-care and protection of their mental health.

Conclusions

The findings from this study that the Decider Life Skills helped students cope in stressful situations and become more mindful of protecting their own mental health is important, as there is a need to safeguard the emotional well-being of mental health nursing students and support them to become resilient practitioners.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471595321002584

 

 

See "View Poster" link to the right to see the poster presentation from Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit Conference, September 2018.

 

Feedback:

"I used it (the STOPP skill) recently. I got some negative feedback that I thought was undeserved. I'd usually be outspoken & I just said STOPP, take the criticism & work from there”. Student mental health nurse

Poster Presentation

View Poster

The evidence base for The Decider Skills: CBT & DBT information (1)

A summary of the evidence basis for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), the psychological theory and practice that serve as the foundation for the Decider Skills.

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REPORT

Delivering The Decider Life Skills via Highland Pharmacists

A multi-perspective evaluation of specialist mental health clinical pharmacist prescribers practising within general practices in NHS Highland Provided by NHS Highland and Robert Gordon University 2018

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STOPP skill - the evidence base

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Palumbo, R., Di Domenico, A., Fairfield, B. et al.

Repetition

When twice is better than once: increased liking of repeated items influences memory in younger and older adults

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IMPACT STORY

Life Skills Supporting Children’s Confidence in Dental Care

An Aberdeenshire dental clinic discovered a simple, powerful way to support anxious children, improve cooperation, and enhance communication: integrating The Decider Life Skills directly into everyday dental practice. What began as a small test quickly grew into an approach that benefits children, staff, families, and even life outside the clinic.

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