NSB204 Mental Health: Self and others
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | NSB204 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | NSB023 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | $578 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,356 |
| International unit fee | $4,848 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | NSB204 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | NSB023 |
| Coordinators: | Laura Freeburn | l.freeburn@qut.edu.au Audra de Witt | a.dewitt@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit focuses on the National Health Priority of mental health and explores the social determinants, legislation and policies that inform nursing care provision. Mental health issues are a universal human experience across the lifespan and affect one in 4 Australians. In this unit, learning activities embed the concepts of recovery and cultural safety as well as trauma informed care in promoting positive messages that challenge stigma and discrimination. Emphasis is given to the development of the professional self and attributes of trust, rapport building, and a non-judgemental approach to practice. Focus is also given to developing skills in assessing and responding to people who experience symptoms of mental illness. This includes history-taking, mental state, and risk assessment, while utilising the recovery framework.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply principles of cultural safety and reflect on self to articulate the role of self in person-centred mental health care and therapeutic use of self
- Apply knowledge of the challenges and factors that can compromise mental health for self and others and promote positive mental health and wellbeing
- Discuss biopsychosocial and mental status assessment, and clinical formulation, informed by the recovery model and person-centred care
- Apply the principles of evidence-based practice to plan care, including mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, illness management, and recovery in a variety of settings and across the life span
- Describe key mental health issues and how nurses work with consumers and carers in a person-centred care approach across the primary, secondary, and tertiary care continuum, applying the recovery model
- Demonstrate knowledge of the mental health act and mental health standards for practice.
Content
Course themes: Evidence-based foundations of nursing practice; cultural safety; person-centred care and therapeutic communication.
NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Aged Care Quality Standards: 1. Consumer Dignity & Choice; 2. Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, 8. Organizational Governance.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards: 2. Partnering with consumers; partnering with patients in their own care; 4. Medication safety; 5 Comprehensive Care:
Global/national/regional health priorities: Mental health
Contexts of care: Mental health nursing in primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings
ePorfolio: Reflection and cultural safety
Content will focus on the following 4 key areas:
Module 1: Self, consumers, and carers
- Cultural safety in mental health: attitudes, values, confronting stereotypes, stigma
- Understanding our own mental health and care of the self; mental health continuum
- Person-centred care and therapeutic relationships, and therapeutic use of self
- Therapeutic relationships with consumers, families, and carers in mental health
- Recovery: person-centred and carer perspective
- Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing.
Module 2: Understanding mental health and wellbeing, and challenges through life
- Social determinants of mental health and illness
- What is mental health and what are mental health issues and treatments?
- Medical diagnosis and specific conditions – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V).
Module 3: Clinical mental health nursing assessment & comprehensive care
- Mental status examination, biopsychosocial history, and assessment
- Clinical formulation and handover
- Nursing interventions for mental health and illness; continuum of care; minimising patient harm – unpredictable behaviour, restrictive practices / restraint; seclusion.
- Predicting, preventing and managing aggression and violence; predicting, preventing and managing self-harm and suicide.
- continuity of medication management; safety and quality systems; partnering with consumers in medication management; medicines scope of clinical practice
- The Safewards model of practice.
Module 4: Legal, ethical, and professional issues in mental health
- The Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld)
- Ethical issues in mental health nursing
- Health care rights and informed consent
- Professional boundaries and mental health standards of practice.
Learning Approaches
This unit uses a blend of online activities and modules and in-class activities to develop your analytical and self-reflection skills. You will develop and practice reflection skills and reflective writing using a structured framework to facilitate deep, systematic reflection. Videos and digital case studies will be used to engage you with diverse issues and situations relating to mental health and to develop your ability to effectively assess and respond to people experiencing mental health issues. Key models and frameworks will be used to support analysis and practice including the model of cultural safety, the recovery model, and ethical and professional standards. In-class group discussions and activities also develop your ability to confront and explore key themes and ideas and respond to related issues.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback and guidance on your progress will be provided in class on an individual basis, as required.
Assessment
Overview
There are 3 summative assessments to be completed in this unit. Online module activities progressively develop your understanding of key concepts and this is assessed in an examination. A reflection assessment assists in understanding stigma and your individual perspectives within mental health care and the case study highlights your understanding of the nursing role in mental health contexts
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Systematic reflection
You will identify and reflect on key influences that inform and shape your understanding of mental health and mental illness. In addition, you will reflect on perspectives of mental health portrayed with the community and identify actions towards improving communication skills for the provision of person-centred care.
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Case Study
You will conduct a biopsychosocial and mental status assessment to create a clinical formulation (informed by the recovery model) that enhances the provision of person-centred care.
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Exam
This assessment draws on your understanding developed from learning activities and self-paced online modules. The exam will consist of a selection of multi-choice and case-based short answer questions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Additional resources will be set as required readings in some weeks.
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Foster, K., Marks, P., O'Brien, A. & Raeburn, T. (2021). Mental health in nursing: Theory and practice for clinical settings. (5th ed.). Elsevier.
Risk Assessment Statement
If you are distressed by issues explored in the content of this unit you should approach staff or consult the university counselling service. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first few lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area which will be indicated to you. You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times while on campus. You can obtain more information on health and safety from http://www.hse.qut.edu.au/.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
- The RN accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings, for safe, quality practice
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam - The RN develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam - The RN respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam - The RN complies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
Relates to: Exam - The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
Relates to: Exam
2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
- The RN establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person-centred care
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam
3: Maintains the capability for practice.
- The RN considers and responds in a timely manner to the health and wellbeing of self and others in relation to the capability for practice
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam - The RN provides the information and education required to enhance people's control over health
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Exam - The RN identifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam
4: Comprehensively conducts assessments.
- The RN conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and wellbeing of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/ or for referral
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN assesses the resources available to inform planning.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam
5: Develops a plan for nursing practice.
- The RN uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN collaboratively constructs nursing practice plans until contingencies, options priorities, goals, actions, outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the relevant persons
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN documents, evaluates and modifies plans accordingly to facilitate the agreed outcomes
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN plans and negotiates how practice will be evaluated and the time frame of engagement
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN coordinates resources effectively and efficiently for planned actions.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam
6: Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice.
- The RN provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN practises within their scope of practice
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN practises in accordance with relevant policies, guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN uses the appropriate processes to identify and report potential and actual risk related system issues and where practice may be below the expected standards.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam
7: Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice.
- The RN evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN revises the plan based on the evaluation
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam - The RN determines, documents and communicates further priorities, goals and outcomes with the relevant persons.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study, Exam
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS42 Bachelor of Nursing
- Apply scientific knowledge and skills from nursing and related disciplines to the provision of safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan
Relates to: Case Study, Exam - Apply critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make evidence- based decisions and evaluate outcomes
Relates to: Case Study, Exam - Practice as an ethical, socially inclusive, and culturally safe practitioner, reflective of your professional nursing identity across a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Systematic reflection - Enact and sustain effective communication skills, therapeutic relationships, and professional capabilities to practice independently and in inter and intra professional teams, to ensure safe, person-centred care
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study - Demonstrate developing socially informed leadership capabilities to achieve positive individual and community outcomes in dynamic healthcare contexts.
Relates to: Systematic reflection, Case Study