Choose an aspect of contemporary MH nursing where there is scope for improvement in practice and identify what innovation you would introduce to improve practice.

An aspect of contemporary nursing where there is scope for improvement in practice

Guidelines

• Choose an aspect of contemporary MH nursing where there is scope for improvement in practice and identify what innovation you would introduce to improve practice.

o For example, this could be the organisation and delivery of care, or patient assessment and evaluation.
o Your proposed innovation must be related to improving patient outcomes, care or service delivery
o Consider your experiences in clinical practice and choose a subject where you personally would be able to introduce something.
o Avoid large issues (such as shortages of staff) where you would have difficulty in making a difference personally.

Aspect of MH nursing: ‘organisation and delivery of care’ or ‘improving patient outcomes’

Topic: HEALTHY EATING

• Target group: SUs in rehabilitation, about to transition into the community (home)

• Intervention: Showing service users how to make a curry, rather than buying take away food; group cooking and eating events twice a week – organise a menu, shopping for ingredients, cook the food, eat together, reflect on the experience (how they felt, what could have gone better). Have theme week or theme night.
• Aim: To improve independent living skills; to educate service users about the better health value of home cooking; to reduce risks related co-morbid conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
• My Rationale for the topic / my interest in this issue: the needs of service users and wishing to improve their overall quality of life
o Use what the literature says to further justify your choice.
• Consider the evidence base.
o What does the research say about your topic?
o What influences this currently? (Why are things the way they are?)
o What are the suggested improvements and how are these supported in the research?
o Appraise the quality of the evidence with reference to validity/reliability/trustworthiness, use this to develop your argument.
• Search terms you could use: mental health and diet; mental health and heart disease; and diabetes; MH and independent living skills / ADLs (activities of daily living); MH and cooking skills; MH and healthy eating; ….

• You must demonstrate evidence of critical thinking.

o Do not accept practice or the evidence base without engaging in critical thought.
o Is there conflicting research?
o What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research in relation to your chosen aspect of contemporary nursing?
o What is the significance of the findings?
o What are the challenges?
o You must support your judgements with reasoning.
• Make links to other themes within the module.
o Professional values – ethical and legal framework
o Nursing practice – evidence based, competence, systematic approaches to care
o Decision Making – evidence based; different theories of decision making; innovation
o Leadership and management – different theories of leadership
o Teamworking – multidisciplinary(MD) teams
• For example, you should consider how you might implement the change drawing on themes such as decision making, innovation and/or leadership theory?

• Question that needs clarification: what is the balance between focusing on the process of introducing the improvement in practice and discussion of the intervention