NSN912 Nursing Therapeutics 3: Mental Health

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit focuses on the national health priority of mental health. It explores and examines social determinants, legislation and policies that inform nursing care provision. Mental health issues are a universal human experience across the lifespan and serious mental health conditions affect increasing proportions of the population. In this unit you will gain knowledge of major mental health conditions and examine Quality Use of Medicines in the psycho-pharmacology context. Learning experiences embed concepts of a recovery approach and cultural safety in promoting positive messages that address stigma and discrimination. Emphasis is given to development of the professional self and attributes of trust, rapport building, and non-judgemental disposition. Focus is also given to developing skills in assessing and responding to people experiencing mental health issues including history-taking, mental health and risk assessment, using the recovery model.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Critically examine and reflect on concepts of positive mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan, and critique the key clinical issues (mental health disorders), challenges (stigma) and factors that can compromise health
2. Relate principles of cultural safety to the mental health context and reflect on self to articulate the role of self in person-centred mental health care and therapeutic use of self
3. Critically review communication skills that contribute to collaborative professional therapeutic relationships with mental health consumers, carers and families
4. Recommend and evaluate care plans to support evidence-based practice, including mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, illness management, and recovery in a variety of settings and across the life span
5. Apply knowledge of psychopharmacology to inform assessment, treatment and support for peoples’ recovery
6. Apply knowledge of the mental health act and mental health standards for practice.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit uses a blend of online activities and modules, and in-class activities towards developing 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 are used to engage you with diverse issues and situations relating to mental health and to develop your ability to effectively assess and respond to mental health issues. Key models and frameworks are 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 abilities to confront and explore key themes and ideas and respond to related issues.

To appreciate the value of peers and the knowledge and experience they bring to the learning environment, small group tutorials will use structured exercises, evidence, and resources to support collaborative learning and inquiry using real world scenario-based cases. Integrated learning support mechanisms will include academic literacy, science-based resources, peer to peer and academic support form part of the student learning journey).

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You are provided with formative and summative feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester, through:

• Ongoing formative feedback online/live tutorials, self-check exercises, peer feedback and through individual or whole of class feedback in online communities
• Formal written or recorded feedback on both formative and summative assessment tasks Via Turnitin in addition to the grade on the Criterion Reference Assessment sheet.
• Feedback on your Assessment Task 1 will be received prior to the submission of your Assessment Task 2.

You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Canvas) for the purpose of identifying and improving:

• Gaps in your knowledge and understanding of unit content
• Inadequacies in your integration of evidence
• Strategies to improve your clinical reasoning and written communication skills in further assessment.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments items in this unit. Learning activities guide your development of understanding of mental health concepts and relevant nursing care using questions relating to clinical practice priorities. You may select a case of your choice for assessment one and you will identify and justify care provision demonstrating your understanding of peoples’ experience of mental health issues.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Case study

Using an unfolding case study you will conduct a biopsychosocial and mental status assessment to create a clinical formulation and identify and analyse nursing care that enhances the provision of person-centred care.  A systematic reflective element is included.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Exam

An invigilated exam consisting of multi-choice and case-based questions relating to clinical practice priorities

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

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.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Evans, K., Nizette, D., & O'Brien, A. (2016). Psychiatric and mental health nursing (4th ed.). Elsevier.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. Substantial computer-based work will be required, please make sure you adjust your workstation and take regular rest breaks.

Course Learning Outcomes

NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice

1. Analyse and apply scientific knowledge and skills in context of nursing and related disciplines to the provision of holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing across the life span
   Relates to: Case study, Exam
2. Evaluate practice outcomes drawing upon critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills to examine person-centred nursing care and make evidence-based decisions
   Relates to: Case study, Exam
3. 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: Case study
4. Demonstrate developing socially informed leadership capabilities of self and others to achieve positive individual and community outcomes in dynamic health care contexts
   Relates to: Case study
5. Demonstrate research skills and use of contemporary evidence to justify clinical decisions and inform nursing practice
   Relates to: Case study