Mental Health First Aid: equipping the nurses of the future

The current provision of mental health content within Pre-registration Nursing for those not undertaking this field of practice is variable; it does not guarantee that each student nurse will receive the guidance on how to support those with mental health needs. Coventry University is addressing this shortfall by ensuring that those not undertaking mental health nursing are given the opportunity of undertaking a MHFA Lite course in their second year of training .The evaluations indicate that many students lacked both knowledge and confidence and that participation has resulted in them feeling more able to sign post and support those with mental health needs.