The analysis of wishes and concerns of the nursing staff regarding the courses of obtaining and raising psychical health nursing qualification

Psychiatry is one of the most specific fields of the medical science that requires special training of the medical staff in order to assure quality of health care services rendered. The part of nurses is very considerable and important one in the work with patients having mental disorders; therefore they need some particular theoretical knowledge and special practical skills. The object of the study and methodology: All nurses who got the qualification of mental health nurses in 2006 and mental health nurses who were undergoing the development and improvement of their qualifications in the fields of mental health at Vilnius Nursing Staff Development and Specialisation Centre since April 2006 to March 2007 were selected as a subject of the study. The poll of 125 respondents was made: 49 (100%) of attendants of qualification training courses for mental health nurses and 76 (97,5%) nurses from improvement courses. The permit of Nursing Staff Development and Specialisation Centre management was obtained for execution of the study. 4 anonymous questionnaires made by investigators (2 for qualification training course nurses and 2 for improvement course nurses) were used for the poll. The first questionnaire (to establish motivation, expectations and needs) was filled in by participants at the beginning of the course. The second one (to get out the opinion and offers) was filled in by the participants at the end of the course. Closed and open types of questions were used in the questionnaires; 10 points estimation scale was used for some questions. The aim of the paper: to analyse the expectations and needs of nurses during the qualification and development courses for mental health nurses. Conclusions of the paper: 1. Motivations of nurses for selection of mental health specialisation were influenced by an interesting work specifics and possibility for getting employed. 2. Motivation of mental health nurses for election of improvement courses was interest in the course subjects and actuality for the practical work. 3. Expectations and needs of nurses were different in improvement and qualification courses: obtaining of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and mental health qualification certificate was important for qualification course students, formation of practical skills and practical recommendations were important for nurses from the improvement course. 4. Enough theoretical knowledge was lectured during improvement and qualification courses, training of practical skills could be more oriented towards rising actual questions and aspects of the work of nurses (pursuant to respondents’ replies: communication skills with patients, ways and possibilities to assure safety of patients and themselves, practical recommendations for behaviour with patients in diverse situations, legal aspects of work with patients). 5. Qualification and improvement courses met expectations and needs of most of nurses. The major part of respondents would recommend courses to their colleagues