Immersion experience in undergraduate psychiatric mental health nursing

Immersion practica have been used in a variety of nursing settings to help prepare culturally competent nursing students. The psychiatric setting represents a diverse culture that traditionally has not appealed to nursing students when considering career options. This article describes the experiences of baccalaureate nursing students and hospital nursing staff following a brief immersion practicum at a psychiatric facility. Seven students were assigned to one practicum for six consecutive weekdays (45 hours), without the distraction of other classes. Both the students and staff rated the experience as positive. The students believed that their ability to form therapeutic relationships, develop clinical skills, and integrate theory into clinical practice was enhanced. While nursing faculty struggle to produce more graduates, with declining clinical sites and increased competition for these sites, the brief clinical immersion may be a reasonable alternative to a traditional rotation.