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Generational attitudes of rural mental health nurses
Author(s) -
Crowther Andrew,
Kemp Michael
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2009.01044.x
Subject(s) - mental health , flexibility (engineering) , baby boomers , nursing , medicine , rural area , psychology , psychiatry , statistics , mathematics , pathology , economics , demographic economics
Abstract Objective: To determine how attitudes of rural mental health nurses differ across generations.Design: Survey.Setting: Mental health services in rural New South Wales.Participants: Practising mental health nurses.Main outcome measures: Survey responses.Results: Survey response rate 44%. A total of 89 mental health nurses, clustered in inpatient units and community health centres, responded. Of these nurses, 4 were veterans, 52 baby boomers, 17 Generation X and 5 Generation Y.Conclusions: There are significant differences in how mental health nurses from different generations view their work, and in what is expected from managers. Managers need to modify traditional working styles, allowing greater flexibility of employment. They must also accept lower staff retention rates, and facilitate the development of younger staff.