A survey of mental health nurses' opinion of barriers and supports for research.

The need to demonstrate efficacy, efficiency and quality of practice through research is acknowledged in mental health nursing standards of practice. Yet the findings of a preliminary survey of two local District Health Boards (DHBs) shows that high workloads and lack of relief staffing appear as the greatest hurdles to mental health nurses participating in practice-based nursing research. A further constraint on their participation is lack of research expertise and experience. Consultative discussions with senior mental health nurses support these conclusions. In this paper mentoring and flexible research designs are promoted as possible ways of overcoming these barriers.