Integrated Mental Health Nursing Program: Effects on Stigma, Cognitive Flexibility, and Clinical Readiness

Summary

This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study aims to evaluate the effect of an Integrated Mental Health Nursing Educational Program on stigma, cognitive flexibility, and clinical readiness among undergraduate nursing students. The study will be conducted at the Faculty of Nursing, Damanhour University, Egypt, among students enrolled in the psychiatric nursing course during the second clinical rotation of the 2025-2026 academic year.

The intervention consists of a structured 6-week educational program that includes teaching sessions, interactive discussions, reflective exercises, case-based learning, and guided clinical experiences. The program is designed to improve mental health awareness, reduce stigma toward people with mental illness, enhance cognitive flexibility, and strengthen students' readiness for psychiatric nursing practice.

Outcome measures will be assessed before and after the intervention using validated tools: the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC-15), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and the Mental Health Nursing Clinical Confidence Scale (MHNCCS). The findings may support the integration of structured mental health nursing education into undergraduate nursing curricula to improve students' attitudes, thinking skills, and clinical preparedness.

Conditions

• Mental Health Stigma
• Cognitive Flexibility
• Clinical Readiness
• Mental Health Nursing Education

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Integrated Mental Health Nursing Educational Program (IMHNEP)

The intervention is a structured 6-week educational program designed for undergraduate nursing students. It includes lectures, interactive discussions, reflective exercises, case-based learning, and supervised clinical training. The program focuses on mental health awareness, stigma reduction, cognitive restructuring techniques, and essential psychiatric nursing competencies. It aims to improve students' attitudes toward mental illness, enhance cognitive flexibility, and increase clinical readiness for psychiatric nursing practice.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Alexandria University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Heba Mohamed Abdelaal, Doctorate · Alexandria University, Faculty of Nursing

• Walaa Elsayed Mohamed Elsayed Khalil, Doctorate · Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University

• Laila Saad Mahmoud Shoukhba, Doctorate · Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University

• Omima Mohamed Ibrahim Morsy, Doctorate · Faculty of Nursing, Damanhour University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-07

Primary Completion

2026-05-21

Completion

2026-05-21

Countries

• Egypt