Education as an exit strategy for community mental health nurses: a thematic analysis of narratives

A study of the narratives of community mental health nurses, with an emphasis on education and training, identified education as offering a 'stepping stone' out of a profession that struggles for recognition and status. This paper describes those narratives and the challenges facing healthcare organisations seeking to assimilate and retain the talent of those who have achieved academic success. The authors suggest that encouraging an expertise that integrates academic and practice skills might be achieved through more widespread appointment of clinical professorships.