A Delphi study to identifying mental health nursing research priorities in Western Australia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: In the current political environment increasing funding is directed to conducting clinical research and mental health nurses (MHNs) must compete for this resource to increase the research profile of the profession. This will drive the development of evidence-based practice and the delivery of quality care to consumers and their families. AIM: This presentation reports the mental health nursing research priority areas at one health service in Western Australia servicing a population of approximately 840,000 people. METHODOLOGY: A three round Delphi study was used to identify the ten research priority areas for mental health nursing. In the first round, 390 research questions were identified and these were then analysed, grouped and reduced to 56 broader questions in the second round. In the final round, expert consensus and an acceptable level of homogeneity of responses was obtained from senior mental health nurses who ranked the ten priority research areas. OUTCOMES/IMPLICATIONS: Six clinical and four professional questions made up the ten priorities areas and these focused on the delivery and organisation of mental health services, developing new practice paradigms for nurses, deficits in knowledge and skill set of graduates nurses and how to recruit and retain new graduates into mental health. TRANSLATIONS: The outcomes of this study have been widely presented and circulated within Western Australia and place mental health nurses in a key position to obtain upcoming funding sources for nursing research from the Office of the Chief Nurse and Midwife.