Examining the impact of traditional and non-traditional mental health clinical placement on nursing students understanding of domestic violence: A quasi-experimental study.

AIM

To compare the effects of traditional mental health placements versus non-traditional placements on pre-registration nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about domestic violence (DV).

DESIGN

A between-subjects, repeated-measures design.

METHODS

Pre-registration nurses (N = 286) were purposively sampled in association with attending either a traditional (n = 100) or non-traditional (n = 186) mental health clinical placement as part of their university studies. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about DV were measured pre- and post-placement via the Community Attitudes Survey (CAS). Changes in these areas were compared both between placement types as well as before and after the different clinical placements.

RESULTS

In both placement types, student nurses similarly recognised a high number of DV behaviours and rejected stereotypical gender roles and statements trivialising DV. Attending either type of clinical placement enhanced recognition of domestically violent behaviours; however, a non-traditional clinical placement improved the perceived severity of certain DV behaviours, while attending a traditional placement did not. Nursing students that attended a non-traditional placement increased in knowledge regarding accessing support resources, while knowledge in this area decreased among nursing students that attended a hospital-based clinical placement.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the critical role that clinical placements play in shaping nursing students' understanding of DV. While participation in both types of mental health clinical placement settings provided certain benefits for students, those who attended a non-traditional mental health placement experienced unique advantages that varied by gender. Notably, the non-traditional placement enhanced all nursing students' (both male and female) understanding of available support resources for individuals experiencing DV.