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NUR5215 - Mental health nursing concepts and practice

12 points, SCA Band 0, 0.250 EFTSL

Postgraduate Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Leader: Ms S Henderson

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2007 (Off-campus)
Hong Kong First semester 2007 (Off-campus)
Malaysia First semester 2007 (Off-campus)
Peninsula First semester 2007 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

The nature of mental health and illness; the nursing process in psychiatric nursing; roles and functions of mental health nurses; contexts of care; mental health problems and disorders; therapeutic interventions in mental health care; ethical and legal issues; specialisation in psychiatric/mental health nursing.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. Conduct comprehensive mental health nursing assessment including risk assessment;
  2. Describe the commonly used diagnostic classification systems in psychiatry and mental health nursing;
  3. Promote consumer participation in all aspects of mental health care;
  4. Demonstrate advanced mental health nursing skills in planning, implementing and evaluating mental health nursing care for people with mental disorders;
  5. Describe the principles underlying contemporary therapeutic interventions for people with mental health disorders;
  6. Demonstrate skills and knowledge in the use of a range of contemporary physical therapies including psychopharmalogical preparations, electroconvulsive therapy, and milieu therapies (e.g. high dependency, seclusion, Snoezelen, etc.);
  7. Describe relevant legislation and policy impacting upon the professional practice of mental health nursing;
  8. Critically analyse ethical issues in nursing people with mental health disorders;
  9. Critically appraise research evidence applicable to mental health nursing practice;
  10. Ensure that mental health nursing practice is culturally appropriate.

Assessment

Written assignment (3000 words): 30%
Online exercises: 30%
Examination: 40%
Clinical skills assessment (hurdle requirement)