'Changing People's Hearts': The Lived Expertise Perspective of Communicating With Nursing Students at a Mental Health Clinical Placement.
Hannah Thompson, Christopher Patterson, Kelly Lewer and 1 others
PMID 39831642WHAT IT FOUND
Five people with lived experience felt respected and valued when nursing students listened actively, used a friendly tone and body language, and made small inclusive gestures.
Some also met dismissive students.
Key findings
01Participants described active listening, empathetic prompts and acknowledgements as signs of respect that deepened conversations.
02Students' small kind behaviours, such as making tea, made participants more willing to engage.
03Participants felt deeply impacted when students recognised them as experts, though some reported dismissive responses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only five participants were interviewed, so the findings cannot represent all people with lived experience of mental illness. The study took place around one Recovery Camp placement, so it may not reflect routine mental health care or traditional clinical placements. It reports participants' perceptions, not measured outcomes. The authors describe the honours-year time frame as a snapshot rather than comprehensive insight.
Declared interests
Recovery Camp is described as a research and social impact programme supported by the University of Wollongong to explore its potential as a social enterprise.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that Recovery Camp reduces stigma or improves patient outcomes. The study interviewed five people with lived experience about their perceptions of nursing student communication and did not measure effects.