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) 

 

 

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

REPORT

Impact report from South Perthshire Community Mental Health Team

South Perthshire Community Mental Health Team have provided their most recent report on the impact of Decider Skills. They offer a structured yet informal space for individuals to develop essential life skills. Led by Karen and Ellie, these sessions empower participants to manage emotions, build resilience, and connect with others through shared experiences. They currently deliver reoccurring groups in 3 locations across South Perthshire as well as numerous 1:1's during clinic hours.

Read

CASE STUDY

KITE Autism Service, Kilkenny — Building calm, shared language and everyday strategies

KITE Autism Service in Kilkenny completed its first Decider Skills programme in 2025. The service enrolled a small group of participants and committed to reinforcing the skills after the course finished, embedding the approach into day‑to‑day practice.

Read

STUDY

Highfield Healthcare: The impact of co-facilitated groups with Experts by Experience

Zoe Dillon and Laura Collins conducted research into the impact of collaborative co-facilitated groups, implementing the Decider Skills, with Experts by Experience (EBE) and mental health nurses. Read the poster for this research presentation below.

Read

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.

Read

Dr Bruce Perry, Beacon House

The Three Rs

Dr Bruce Perry, a pioneering neuroscientist in the field of trauma, has shown us that to help a vulnerable child to learn, think and reflect, we need to intervene in a simple sequence.

Read

REPORT

North of Scotland CAMHS

Feedback from a 2 day workshop attended by CAMHS professionals & from young service users. The Decider has since "become embedded in the Inpatient Unit and proved to be very popular with the young people with a good regular weekly attendance. This is a fairly new group but has been measured using the DERS 18 questionnaire which measures aspects of emotional regulation. The results of the group are promising"

Read

REPORT

NHS Grampian - The Decider Skills Pilot Group

Results from The Decider Skills pilot group held in Aberdeen

Read

The Decider Life Skills in Guernsey

A poster presentation providing a summary of studies 2017

Read

REPORT

The Lincara Centre, Wicklow, Ireland

Summary and outcomes for The Decider Skills course in Wicklow, Ireland from January to March 2019.

Read

The Decider Skills pilot study 2013

Results of the initial pilot study with 20 long term mental health service users which formed the foundation of The Decider Skills programme in 2012-2013.

Read

REPORT

CAMHS data for The Decider Skills

Outcome data for young people who completed The Decider Skills group in 2016

Read

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

Read

REPORT

Portlaoise Poster

The Decider Skills group show evidence of a reduction in global distress, anxiety and depression

Read

REPORT

Guernsey's Mental Health Services - The Decider Life Skills Workshops

During 2016, 55 service users and 23 staff attended The Decider Life Skills half day workshop. Brief report and feedback. Written by Ayres & Vivyan

Read

STOPP skill - the evidence base

Read

STUDY

Lockdown in a specialised rehabilitation unit

Lockdown in a specialist rehabilitation unit: The best of times.

Read

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

Read

STUDY

The PARC Project

The PARC Project - County Wicklow, Ireland

Read