units

NUR5003

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 22 December 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - 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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12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

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

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitSchool of Nursing and Midwifery
OfferedClayton Second semester 2015 (Day)
Clayton Summer semester A 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Michael Olasoji

Synopsis

This unit builds upon NUR5002 Contemporary Nursing Practice 2. It is a clinically-based unit that introduces students to the areas of mental health and aged care nursing as well as preparing them for graduate nursing roles. The unit will provide opportunities for students to develop fundamental knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the restoration and maintenance of optimal mental health and recovery from mental illness. Students are expected to learn to assess mental health problems and to identify the coping abilities of individuals and families, and to care for people with selected mental disorders. Emphasis is placed upon empowerment of the individual and caregiver using the stress/vulnerability model and family based management. The unit also encompasses risk assessment, mental health service systems, roles and functions of the multidisciplinary mental health team, and the Victorian Mental Health Act.

Outcomes

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

  1. analyse the concepts of mental health and mental illness with reference to historical and contemporary classification systems;
  2. discuss the Victorian Mental Health Act (1986) as amended and implications for nursing practice;
  3. accurately conduct a mental status assessment and a risk assessment;
  4. describe the roles and functions of the members of the multidisciplinary mental health team;
  5. describe the aetiological factors, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and nursing care in a range of mental disorders including anxiety disorders, personality disorders, sexual disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia; psychotic disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, delirium and dementia, and substance-related disorders;
  6. describe a range of psychotherapeutic interventions and therapeutic modalities used in mental health treatment and care;
  7. analyse ethical issues which pertain to psychiatric and mental health nursing;
  8. communicate effectively with people who are experiencing disturbances of thoughts, feelings and behaviour;
  9. employ selected cognitive and behavioural techniques in the care and management of people with mental health problems and mental disorders;
  10. analyse physical, psychological and social aspects of ageing in the context of health and illness in older people in our community;
  11. analyse the impact of ageing and chronic illness on clients, families and carers;
  12. analyse the legal and ethical issues that arise from changes to cognition, chronic and life limiting illness such as challenges to autonomy, protection of patients, quality of life and euthanasia;
  13. differentiate the roles of nurses working in multidisciplinary teams, who care for people with chronic and/ or life limiting illness in different health care environments;
  14. utilise holistic health assessment skills to assess the complex health needs of older adults, people with chronic and life limiting illness in relation to physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs;
  15. analyse a range of evidenced based interventions that support the person experiencing complex care needs;
  16. identify the resources for people with issues related to ageing, chronic and life limiting illness in the community;
  17. utilise health promotion, supportive and palliative approaches to care for people with chronic and life limiting illness in a range of health care settings; and
  18. practice with increasing autonomy in accordance with ANMAC Competencies for the Registered Nurse and other professional standards.

Fieldwork

Clinical placement: 200 hours.

Assessment

Mid semester exam (1 hour) (20%)
Written assignment (Clinical case study) (3,000 - 4,000 words) (30%)
End of semester exam (2 hours) (50%)
Clinical practice assessment (Pass / Fail)

Hurdle requirements: Students must pass the end of semester examination to achieve a pass for this unit. Students must achieve a pass in the clinical placement to pass the unit (100%). Attendance at clinical is mandatory.

Workload requirements

8 hours a week: lectures 6 hours, tutorials 2 hours over eight weeks. In addition, students will be required to undertake 200 hours of clinical placement.

Note: Students who complete this unit in the summer semester will be on campus for 5.5 weeks intensive.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Olasoji

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

Nursing

Prerequisites

NUR5002, NUR5111.