92236 Foundations of Mental Health Nursing

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject focuses on the care of individuals who are experiencing an alteration in their mental state, some form of mental distress, and/or a psychiatric illness. This subject builds on content addressed previously in the course and provides students with the opportunity to challenge their attitudes, beliefs and values and examine issues specific to the understanding and care of individuals experiencing altered mental functioning. This subject addresses the care of individuals who are experiencing a range of problems that the nurse is likely to encounter in any health care setting.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. demonstrate an awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs and values about mental illness, mental distress and mental disorder (ANMC competencies: 4.2; 4.4)
2. demonstrate an understanding of the local and global history of mental health care and of medical, psychological and sociocultural theories of mental illness/disorder (ANMC competencies: 2.6; 3.3)
3. understand the dimensions of mental health-illness continuum for individuals, the family and the community (ANMC competencies: 2.6; 3.3)
4. explore the use of self as a therapeutic agent and reflect on the nursing experience of self and others to enhance learning and practice (ANMC competencies: 4.2; 4.3; 9.1; 9.2)
5. develop therapeutic relationships with individuals experiencing alterations to mental health functioning and reflect on meanings of the health-illness experience for consumers and carers (ANMC competencies: 2.3; 6.1; 9.1)
6. develop an awareness of commonly utilised therapies and approaches in mental health care (ANMC competencies: 3.2)
7. participate in the delivery of care and develop beginning competencies in a number of clinical skills, e.g. patient observation, mental health assessments, reporting and recording, therapeutic communication and supportive counselling, assessment and management of aggression, assessment and management of psychotropic medication effects/side-effects, promotion of adherence to treatment regimes (ANMC competencies: 2.5; 3.2; 3.3; 6.1; 7.1)
8. develop an appreciation of the significance of legislation that impacts on mental health care (ANMC competencies: 1.1; 1.2; 1.3)
9. develop an awareness of the structure and organisation of mental health services and how these services operate to provide a comprehensive system of treatment (ANMC competencies: 10.1; 10.2)
10. demonstrate understanding and use of evidence based practice in mental health nursing (ANMC competencies: 3.1; 4.1; 4.3).

Content

Refer to the table 'Overview of the subject' located at the rear of the outline. Details of lectures, tutorial content and preparation, and weekly pre-reading are on UTSOnline

• Introduction to mental health nursing, mental health/illness and mental health services
• Observation and assessment in mental health nursing
• Affect, emotion and mood, psychopathology and nursing diagnosis, critical overview of the DSMIV-TR, attitudinal awareness and the impact of stigma, reflection on clinical placement
• Thought, cognition, language and perception 1 and 2 — nursing care of the individual with altered affect, emotion and mood
• Psychomotor behaviour and medication-induced movement
• Psychopharmacology and other somatic therapies
• Nursing care of the individual with altered thought, cognition, language and perception
• Substance use and dependence: Assessment and nursing care issues 1
• Substance use and dependence: Assessment and nursing care issues 2 — nursing care of the individual with altered psychomotor behaviour/psychopharmacology/anxiety
• Substance use and dependence: Assessment and nursing care issues 3
• Personality disorders — living with mental illness – individual and family issues
• Schizophrenia — overview and assessment
• Schizophrenia – planning and intervention — substance use and dependence – attitudinal awareness and history taking / assessment and management of withdrawal
• Mood disorders – Bipolar disorder
• Mood disorders – Depression — nursing care of the individual with self-harming and suicidal ideation
• Consumer activist
• Psychosocial interventions — risk assessment and creating a safe and therapeutic' milieu
• Anxiety and anxiety related disorders
• Dementia, delirium and depression: Assessment and nursing care — assessment and care of the cognitively impaired individual