Mental health nursing students recognised for trauma work

Mental health nursing students at the University of Stirling have been recognised for their work preparing nurses to deal with the effects of trauma in the workplace.

The students, from the undergraduate nursing programme, won a Practice Excellence Award in the ‘Research/Evidence into Practice’ category from the Mental Health Nursing Forum in Scotland. 

For the last four years, the University has been developing and delivering a psychological trauma-informed model of undergraduate mental health education. Student nurses are taught to recognise, assess and support individuals to manage the effects of complex trauma. 

The students have taken this trauma-informed learning into clinical practice – through a series of quality improvement projects, networking events, poster presentations and the sharing of ideas through social media - in order to build a trauma-responsive nursing workforce.

It is a validation of the type of undergraduate programme we are offering, that is different to other universities.

Margaret Conlon

Margaret Conlon, lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, said: “We are delighted to win this award as it is a validation of the type of undergraduate programme we are offering, that is different to other universities.

“Students become agents of change who, in the process of becoming registered mental health nurses, embed trauma-informed care into practice.

“Collectively, their activities provide a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates the influence of student learning on the dissemination of trauma-informed practice.”