ATN universities to develop free digital resource to transform mental health training
Australian nursing students will have access to a new free digital training videos providing realistic mental health training simulations. The project will prepare the workforce to respond to complex situations including suicide and self-harm risk, family violence and mental health assessments through recorded training videos reflecting the context of Australian practices. Funded by The Australian…
Australian nursing students will have access to a new free digital training videos providing realistic mental health training simulations.
The project will prepare the workforce to respond to complex situations including suicide and self-harm risk, family violence and mental health assessments through recorded training videos reflecting the context of Australian practices.
Funded by The Australian Technology Network of Universities’ Libraries of ATN OER (Open Education Resource) grant, the project is led by Deakin University, in partnership with fellow ATN member universities Curtin University and The University of Newcastle. Other partners include Federation University, University of Tasmania, Auckland University of Technology, Bayside Health, Lived Experience Advisory Group, and clinical nurse educators from participating health services.
ATN Executive Director Dr Andy Marks said that the project will help Australian healthcare practitioners gain the experience they need to prepare them for future challenges.
“This project is all about workforce preparedness. Having access to a library of realistic training simulations helps students to understand how to respond to complex situations before they encounter them in practice. That can only help our healthcare system provide better care to Australians dealing with mental health challenges,” he said.
Project lead Dr Claire Hayes said the open-access digital library would provide students and healthcare professionals with realistic, culturally responsive demonstrations of mental health assessment, risk assessment and therapeutic communication.
“Mental health and risk assessment are rarely as straightforward as working through a checklist. While we teach students recognised indicators of risk, real-world presentations are often far more nuanced. These simulations will show how clinicians listen, ask difficult questions, recognise subtle cues and bring information together to inform clinical judgement.
“By involving clinicians, educators and people with lived experience, we can create authentic resources that reflect contemporary Australian practice and that students and healthcare professionals can observe, discuss and learn from.”
The library will provide an Australian alternative to existing international and commercially licensed resources.
It will support undergraduate, postgraduate and workforce education. The resources will be freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to universities, health services and professional organisations.
The library is expected to benefit thousands of learners each year and expand access to contemporary mental health assessment education tailored to the Australian context.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. Lifeline provides free, confidential crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If life is in immediate danger, call 000.
