DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i11.054

Pages: 4459-4465

Mental illness constitute a major public health problem in the world. Nursing students’ attitude towards mentally ill clients is the determining factor for the holistic care of these clients. Research related to nursing students’ attitudes towards people with mental illness is very scanty in Malawi. To explore attitudes of nursing students towards mental illness, patients and psychiatric placement in Southern Malawi, a qualitative phenomenological design was carried out and participants were selected using purposive non-probability sampling technique. An interview guide with open ended semi- structured questions was used to collect data through individual face-to-face interviews. The study has shown that post psychiatric placement of the nursing students contributes to overall positive attitudes towards mental illness. Students’ attitudes, clients’ behavior, students’ welfare, tutor supervision and learning environment were the main themes which emerged. The findings of this study implied that direct contact with persons with mental illness encourages and enhance a positive attitude towards mental illness in nursing students. However, critical issues such as college supervision, nurse attitudes at the hospital and congestion of students during placement need to be given due attention if meaningful experiences and attitudes are to be retained in students