Course Title: Context of Mental Health Nursing

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Context of Mental Health Nursing

Credit Points: 12.00

Important Information:

 

 


Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

NURS1066

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013

NURS1066

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 1 2016

NURS1066

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

173H School of Health and Biomed

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2017,
Sem 1 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Sarah McFadyen

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5621

Course Coordinator Email: sarah.mcfadyen@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 220.04.04A


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Assumed Knowledge

To be eligible to undertake this course you must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency as a Division One Registered Nurse.

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning. For further information go to: www.rmit.edu.au/students/enrolment/credit/he


Course Description

This course provides an historical perspective of mental health, treatment modalities and therapeutic approaches to mental health care. Content to be addressed includes comparing different theoretical models of mental illness to enhance understanding of treatment approaches. 

This course also focuses on the development of your abilities to recognise and differentiate between the psychiatric disorders within the context of the existing criteria for classifications and diagnosis of mental illness. Finally, this course addresses the concept of mental health and wellbeing of individuals.  Cultural beliefs and concepts of mental illness will be explored in terms of caring for consumers.  


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the development of the Program Learning Outcomes for GD158 Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing in the following way:

  • PLO 4: The Mental Health Nurse collaboratively plans and provides ethically based care consistent with the mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, social and cultural needs of the individual.
  • PLO 5:  The Mental Health Nurse values the contributions of other agencies and stakeholders in the collaborative provision of holistic, evidence based care and in ensuring comprehensive service provision for people with mental health issues.
  • PLO 6:  The Mental Health Nurse actively pursues opportunities to reduce stigma and promotes social inclusion and community participation for all people with mental health issues.
  • PLO 8:  The Mental Health Nurse’s practice incorporates and reflects common law requirements, relevant statutes and the nursing profession’s code of conduct and ethics. The Mental Health Nurse integrates international, national, local and state policies and guidelines with professional Standards and competencies.
  • PLO 9: hold specialist qualifications and demonstrate advanced specialist knowledge, skills and practice, integrating all the Standards competently and modelling leadership in the practice setting.


On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Critically review historical and contemporary of mental health and mental illness  
  2. Explore the emergence of the recovery model within mental health nursing practice and consider its implications for future care.  
  3. Examine the classification of mental disorders using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) 
  4. Explore the use of mental status examination in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.  
  5. Critically examine symptom presentation and psychopathology patterns associated with a range of mental disorders. 
  6. Evaluate the appropriate application of psycho-therapeutic interventions, psychopharmacological considerations and holistic management of consumers. 
  7. Critically analyse the ethico-legal requirements that guide treatment of people living with mental illness within health care settings.  


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities you will undertake during this course include a mixture of lectures, class discussion and self-directed learning exercises including directed reading of academic literature. This literature may include journal articles, exercises based on readings, reflective exercises, clinical based activity and recovery focused care plans.

The assessment associated with this course will comprise formative and summative assessment and incorporate a variety of assessment modes. Your assessments will primarily take the form of written work requiring reflection and critical analysis. Your participation in classroom and on line activities will also form part of your summative grade.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Lectorial Participation Reflective Activities
Weighting 10% 
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 3, 4, 5 & 7 

Assessment Task 2: Context of Mental Health Care (Written Essay)
Weighting 40%
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 6 & 7  

Assessment Task 3: Critical Analysis of Care within Mental Health (Written Essay) 
Weighting 50% 
This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.