units

NUR2104

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
OfferedGippsland Second semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Associate Professor John Field

Synopsis

This unit provides the opportunity for the student to develop fundamental knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the restoration and maintenance of optimal mental health. Students will be expected to assess people with mental health problems and to identify, prioritize and implement appropriate evidence based interventions. The guiding principles of the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce including: rights, responsibilities, safety and privacy, consumer and carer participation, awareness of diversity, early detection and intervention, ethical practice and professional responsibilities underpin the unit contents. Topics covered in this unit include: the mental health workforce, mental health and illness, psychiatric assessment, legal and ethical care, psychotropic medications, the mental health system, the consumer and carer movement, acute psychosis, mood disorders, peri-natal mental disorders, personality disorders and anxiety disorders.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss the concepts of mental health and mental illness with reference to historical and contemporary classification systems
  2. demonstrate a knowledge of the Mental Health Act
  3. conduct a mental status assessment and a risk assessment
  4. describe the roles and functions of the members of the mental health workforce
  5. describe the aetiological factors, epidemiology and clinical manifestations of a range of mental disorders including anxiety disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders psychotic disorders and perinatal mental disorders
  6. apply the knowledge of these factors in the care of clients and families of clients with mental health problems
  7. demonstrate a knowledge of a range of psychotherapeutic interventions
  8. discuss ethical issues which pertain to mental health care
  9. communicate effectively with people who are experiencing disturbances of thoughts, feelings and behaviour
  10. demonstrate cultural sensitivity and safety in mental health practice.

Fieldwork

Two (2) weeks of clinical placement at five (5) days/week (based on an 8 hour day/40 hour week.

Assessment

Written assignment (30%)
Online quizzes (10%)
Formal examination (60%)
Clinical assessment (Pass / Fail)

Students must attend 100% of all scheduled tutorials, unless a medical certificate is provided - refer to school clinical guidelines for details.

Workload requirements

  • Two (2) hours lecture per week
  • Two (2) hours tutorial per week
  • One (1) hour for self directed reading and quizzes per week
  • Two (2) - five (5) hours of private study weekly
  • Clinical placement - 80 hours.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

Co-requisites

Must be enrolled in courses 0727 or 4514.