Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

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NURS 222 Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing: Promoting Wellness in the Mentally Ill C 202008FAI VR-D01

  • 202008FAI 2020
  • Section
  • 08/24/2020 to 11/01/2020
  • Modified 08/23/2020

Meeting Times

Class Length: 10 weeks

For every 1 hour in a theory class, it is expected that students complete 2–3 hours of study in preparation for class. For this course, it is expected that a minimum of 10–15 hours of study outside of class is completed each week. Please check your Student Portal for specific class meeting times, dates, and locations.

In some courses, there is a required online Blackboard Collaborate Virtual Class Session in week 10. Please see course specifics below.

You are not required to complete any pre-work before Week 1, however, preparation for class is recommended. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Course Description

This course provides knowledge necessary to meet the nursing care needs of adults with mental-health/psychiatric health problems. Application of key concepts and the nursing process with adults and groups within a self-care framework is the focus.

Total Course Credits:

3

Total Course Hours:

45

Lecture Hours In-Class:

45

Lab Hours:

0

Supervised Clinical/Practicum Hours:

0

Externship/Internship Hours:

0

Requisites

Course Prerequisite: NURS 100 and 101L

Course Corequisite: NURS 223L

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  1. Describe the role of the nurse in the holistic care of patients with mental health problems and their families.
  2. Apply the nursing process to the care of mental health patients and their families.
  3. Interpret findings from physical, psychological, social, and mental status assessments and diagnostic tests to recognize signs and symptoms of common mental health problems.
  4. Determine nursing diagnoses pertinent to patients with various mental health problems.
  5. Identify evidence-based methods to promote wellness when planning care for mentally ill patients Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.
  6. Adhere to the unique considerations of mental health patients including those related to patient safety, confidentiality, advocacy, informed consent, and patient’s rights.
  7. Demonstrate culturally sensitive management of patients with mental health problems and their families.
  8. Apply therapeutic communication skills and knowledge of group dynamics to the care of mentally ill patients and their families.
  9. Apply teaching learning theories to the care of mental health patients.
  10. Evaluate the effectiveness of care provided to patients with mental health problems.

 

Week CLOs PLOs ILOs AACN Essentials
1 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
2 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
3 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
4 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
5 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
6 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
7 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
8 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
9 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX
10 x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 1-4. 6, 7 I, II, III IV, V, VI, VII, IX

Program Learning Outcomes

College of Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the College of Nursing is to provide evidence-based and innovative nursing education to culturally diverse learners, preparing nurses to provide quality and compassionate care responsive to the needs of the community and the global society.

College of Nursing Philosophy

The philosophy of the College of Nursing is that education is a continuous process occurring in phases throughout an individual’s lifetime. Nurses are lifelong learners and critical thinkers.

Program Learning Outcomes

The following Program Learning Outcomes were selected to provide the essential body of knowledge and experience necessary to educate students to move directly into their new role. For the undergraduate, this role is as professional registered nurses according to the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008)Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

  1. Support professional nursing practice decisions with concepts and theories from the biological, physical, and social sciences.
  2. Plan preventative and population-focused interventions with attention to effectiveness, efficiency, cost, and equity.
  3. Support therapeutic nursing interventions for patients and families in a variety of healthcare and community settings using evidence-based practice.
  4. Apply nursing process and critical thinking when providing holistic, patient-centered nursing care to diverse populations.
  5. Design healthcare education for individuals, families, and communities.
  6. Comply with the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct in practice.
  7. Develop an effective communication style to interact with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary health team.
  8. Model leadership when providing safe, quality nursing care, when coordinating the healthcare team, and when tasked with oversight and accountability for care delivery.
  9. Use patient care technology and information systems when providing nursing care in a variety of settings.

Course Materials

Visit the West Coast University bookstore to purchase any required materials, including publisher access codes, as needed.

Please be aware that used textbooks may not include access codes, study guides and/or DVDs containing additional course materials that may be required for the course. In some cases supplemental materials may be directly purchased from the publisher. However, students will be held accountable for obtaining these materials in order to meet all course requirements Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach

  • Author: Varcarolis, E. M., & Halter, M. J.
  • Publisher: Saunders/Elsevier
  • Edition: 8th

Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking

  • Author: Curtis, C. M., Fegley, A. B., & Tuzo, C. N.
  • Publisher: F.A. Davis
  • Edition: 4th

Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Planning Assessment Guides, Diagnoses, Psychopharmacology

  • Author: Varcarolis, E. M.
  • Publisher: Saunders Elsevier
  • Edition: 5th
  • Optional

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

  • Author: American Psychological Association
  • Publisher: American Psychological Association
  • Edition: 7th
  • Optional

Learning Resources

Assessment Technologies Institute. (2019)

ATI product solutions

  • Optional

ATI

Assessment Technologies Institute. (2019)

ATI product solutions

ATI is required throughout the program.

Evaluation

West Coast University Grading Scale (Reflective of final course grade; see associated policy in Catalog) Grade Points WCU Grading Scale
A 4 93–100
A- 3.7 90–92
B+ 3.3 87–89
B 3.0 83–86
B- 2.7 80–82
C+ 2.3 76–79
C 2.0 73–75
C- 1.7 70–72
D+ 1.3 66–69
D 1.0 63–65
D- 0.7 60–62
F 0.0 59 or below
AU 0.0 Audit
CR 0.0 Credit
P 0.0 Pass
NP 0.0 Not Passed
I 0.0 Incomplete
TC 0.0 Transfer Credit
W 0.0 Withdrawal

(Before Drop Deadline)

WF 0.0 Withdrawal

(After Drop Deadline)

Note: AU, CR, P, NP, I, TC, W, and WF are used on the Academic Record but have no point values and are not computed in the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) 

A minimum passing grade is required for each course and varies by program. Earned grades below the minimum passing grade reflect that the course has not been successfully completed. Each academic program has unique prerequisite requirements. Please see the specific program section for additional information.

Students should review the program specific grading scale in the University Catalog.

 

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria consists of Formative and Summative assessments of student learning.

Formative: Assessment that occurs throughout the course to provide feedback and support for improved performance as part of an ongoing learning process. Examples: Evidence-based research, presentations, case studies, specific class projects, weekly quizzes, homework assignments, clinical or lab assignments, practice exams
Summative: Assessment that occurs at the conclusion of the course to determine whether student learning outcomes have been achieved.  Examples: Final exam, term paper, or term project  Signature Assignments, where applicable, are course assignments designed to comprehensively measure student achievement of course and program learning outcomes.
Additional Information:

  • All assignments are to be submitted via the online classroom except where otherwise noted. Email submissions will not be accepted. Grades and comments on graded items will be posted in the Blackboard Gradebook, unless otherwise specified. All assignments submitted for each course must be created for that particular course. Any assignment (a paper or presentation) submitted for credit in one course may not be duplicated and submitted for credit in any other course unless approved by the faculty or noted in the syllabus.
  • Please review all rubrics in the course for assignment grading criteria, found under the My Grades tab.
  • It is important that you save all of your completed assignments for your records.
  • Please ensure that you have saved copies of all your work on a drive such as Dropbox or a personal hard drive as you may be asked to recall these assignments as you near the end of your program.

 

Criteria

*Critical Assignments (where applicable)

      • If a student achieves 76% or more on each Critical Assignment, then the grades earned on the remaining course assignments will be included in the final course grade. If a critical assignment has multiple submissions, i.e. concept maps or weekly clinical reports, must achieve a 76% average grade to pass.
      • If a student achieves less than 76% on the Critical Assignments, then the grades earned on the remaining course assignments will not be included in the final course grade. A student’s final grade will be the percentage earned out of the Critical Assignment points Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

It is your responsibility to complete all assignments in the course. It is possible to earn a failing grade even though you have met the minimum requirements for critical assignments. Some courses do not have critical assignments.

It is your responsibility to review the grading criteria for each course. Critical assignments are designated with an asterisk (*) in the course syllabus. Please see your instructor if you have questions about grading or assignment criteria.

Each student must complete and turn in ALL course assignments, as instructed, in order to pass the course. Even assignments that will be late after 3 days and receive a zero score must be submitted.

    • Types of evaluations and related weights
Assignment Weight / Points Week Due Details
Formative
ATI Learning System RN Quiz 20 1 10 Points each:

  • ATI Learning Systems RN Mental Health Practice Quiz 1
  • ATI Learning Systems RN Mental Health Practice Quiz 2
ATI Nurse Logic Tutorial 10 2
  • Priority Setting Frameworks

Spend 30 minutes or more on each ATI Assignment. Complete the post-test and earn grade of either a “Strong” or 90% or greater to earn the possible points toward to grade. Do not post any transcript with a score of less than 90%, or “Satisfactory.”

ATI Communicator Case Study 10 2 Communicator 2.0: Video Interaction with clients displaying aggressive behavior
ATI Pharmacology Made Easy Tutorial 10 2
  • Neurologic System Part 2
ATI Real Life Mental Health Case Studies 80 2, 3, 4, 6 ATI Real Life Mental Health Case Studies

20 points each

  • Week 2: Schizophrenia
  • Week 3: Mood Disorder
  • Week 4: Anxiety Disorder
  • Week 6: Alcohol Abuse

Spend 30 minutes or more on each ATI Assignment. Complete the post-test and earn grade of either a “Strong” or 90% or greater to earn the possible points toward to grade. Do not post any transcript with a score of less than 90%, or “Satisfactory.”

ATI Practice Assessment 0 6
  • RN Mental Health Online Practice 2019 B
Focused Review Hours 60 7, 9 Focused Review Hours

30 points each

  • Week 7: After ATI Practice Assessment
  • Week 9: After ATI Proctored Exam
*Quizzes 450 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 75 points each

  • Week 2:  Quiz 1
  • Week 3:  Quiz 2
  • Week 4:  Quiz 3
  • Week 5:  Quiz 4
  • Week 6:  Quiz 5
  • Week 7:  Quiz 6
Nursing Evolution 10 9 This is a portfolio assignment that must be completed at the end of the course.The student will not be allowed to sit for the final without having completed the evolution for this course.
Active Learning Engagement 30 9
Blackboard Collaborate Virtual Class Session Summary 25 10 Attend the online Blackboard Collaborate session. Participation is required. Your instructor will post details regarding the session in the announcements. There is no in-class meeting during week 10. Directions for using Collaborate are located in your Blackboard Course. After attending the Collaborate session, submit a 1 paragraph (4-5 sentence) summary to Blackboard for grading. Details of the summary requirements will be presented during the Collaborate session.
Summative
*ATI Proctored Exam 120 8
  • RN Mental Health 2019
*Comprehensive Final Exam 175 9
Total 1,000 points total
*Total Critical Assignments Points 745

Course and Program Specific Policies

ATI Policy

Tutorials (where applicable)

Tutorials promote acquisition and application of information related to nursing concepts and skills. Students will be required to spend a minimum amount of time on most assigned tutorials. Times required will vary from tutorial to tutorial. Points awarded for tutorial assignments will be based on time spent (when applicable) and completion of activities (such as pre-tests and post-tests). You will submit evidence of tutorial hours and activities done to the course faculty as instructed to earn points toward the course grade.

Practice Assessments and Focused Reviews (where applicable)

Practice assessments help students to assess learning and prepare for proctored exams. Students should take the practice assessment the first time without prior knowledge of the questions and without looking answers up, as if it were a proctored exam. This will result in a focused review plan that accurately reflects learning needs and helps the students to prepare for proctored exams.

Proctored Exams and Focused Reviews (where applicable)

Proctored exams help students to assess content mastery and prepare for NCLEX-RN. The goal on these is to score at least a Level 2 on each proctored exam. This indicates the ability to meet NCLEX-RN standards in this content area.A focused review is always required after proctored exams.

Please see the grading criteria section of the syllabus and directions in your course regarding specific ATI directions and grading parameters.

Completion of ATI assignments are mandatory. ATI modules are assigned throughout the BSN program.

All ATI assignments, if required, must be accessed within the term dates that the student is scheduled for the course, and completed and submitted by the stated deadlines. Each student must complete and turn in ALL course assignments, as instructed, in order to pass the course.

Nursing Program or Accreditation Requirements

Nursing students may repeat no more than one failed or unsuccessfully completed course. Any nursing student who fails or unsuccessfully completes any two courses or the same course twice, with the exception of NURS 493, will be dismissed from the program.

      • NURS 493: See details in course criteria.
      • NURS 340/342L: A student who has completed NURS 340/342L and fails any or all courses in the subsequent terms will not be dismissed. The student will be provided an opportunity to repeat the required coursework and any additional failures will result in dismissal from the university.

A student who previously withdrew from a course may not subsequently withdraw from the same course. In addition, a student who fails a course may not subsequently withdraw from the same course. In either case, if a student chooses to withdraw from a course being repeated before successfully completing the course, the student will receive a grade of “F” in the course.

Please see the University Catalog for more information under Course Withdraw and Dismissal Policies.

Students should review the RN Student Handbook for more information.

All ATI assignments, if required, must be accessed within the term dates that the student is scheduled for the course, and completed and submitted by the stated deadlines. Each student must complete and turn in ALL course assignments, as instructed, in order to pass the course.

Each student is required to complete and turn in the End of Course Evaluation prior to sitting for the final exam.The student will not be allowed to sit for the final without having completed the evaluation for this course.

AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education

The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice provides an important framework for designing and assessing baccalaureate education programs for professional nursing practice. You may access the full publication here: AACN Essentials

Late and Make Up Work

Assignments and Activities (written papers, journals, blogs, projects or similar, both in class or online):

      • Students may be allowed to make up assignments and work missed as a result of absences with penalty. Assignments submitted after the established due date will be penalized at 10% per day. Late assignments will not be accepted more than 3 days after the due date unless preapproval from the instructor has been obtained in writing. Be sure to contact the instructor if you believe you must submit an assignment after the due date. Approvals outside the 3 days are generally provided for extenuating circumstances only.

Quizzes and Tests*

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the faculty member within 48 hours of the original examination date of a quiz or test and follow the program policies for missed work. Students will not be allowed access to a quiz or test after the due date. Students may be able to complete a make-up quiz, test, or alternative assignment based on instructor discretion. Students who do not contact the faculty within 48 hours of the original examination date will earn a zero.

Examinations (Midterm and Final Examinations, Proctored Examinations, Proctored Assessments, or similar)Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing*

Students are required to be present for all examinations. If the student must miss an examination due to a compelling reason**, the student must complete and submit the Examination Date Change Request form with the required supporting documentation for the event to the faculty member for that course. The documentation must be submitted at least three (3) weeks in advance of the examination. The faculty member will review and sign the request before submitting the documentation to the Dean, Director, or designee for approval or denial of the request. The documentation must be submitted at the time of the request, and the decision based on the original request is final.

Extenuating Circumstances

An extenuating circumstance is defined as an absence that is due to an unforeseeable circumstance and not a compelling reason or scheduled event. The student must notify the faculty member of the course within 48 hours before or after the date and time of the examination. The Dean, Director, or designee will make a determination regarding student eligibility to take an alternate form of make-up examination. If the student is able to demonstrate extenuating circumstances (such as the inclusion of healthcare provider documentation, a copy of obituary notice or death certificate, or a copy of police report for automobile accidents), the Dean, Director, or designee may permit an alternate form of a make-up examination. The student may earn up to 100% on this make-up examination based on the review of the supporting documentation of the extenuating circumstances.

      • The make-up examination must be taken within five (5) business days of the initial examination administration or before the date of the next class.
      • The make-up examination may not be the same examination but may be an alternative format such as an essay examination.
      • The student must take the make-up examination in a proctored environment.
      • If the student is not able to provide acceptable documentation for either a compelling reason or an extenuating circumstance, the maximum score that the student may earn on the examination is 76%.
      • Students who do not take the examination on the scheduled make-up date or who do not contact the instructor within 48 hours of missing the examination will receive a zero score for the examination.
      • One form is required for each request. Any future make-up requests require a new form.
      • Receiving the maximum amount of points on a make-up examination will be considered only for students who provide documentation of a compelling reason** for missing the examination or if an extenuating circumstance occurs and is supported by documentation. This does not apply for students who miss their regularly scheduled examinations due to student choice or error (e.g., oversleeping). The final determination for approval of a make-up examination is at the discretion of the Academic Dean, Director, or designee.

*Course curriculum varies from course to course. Not all courses have quizzes, tests, or examinations. It is your responsibility to review each syllabus for assignment criteria.

** A compelling reason is defined as planned events or discretionary participation in activities such as weddings or required travel.

No work is accepted after the last scheduled class (on ground) or the last day of class (online)Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

Minimum Passing Grade

The minimum passing grade in the core nursing program is a C+.

“P” or “NP” are the grades issued for all nursing clinicals, Global Studies/Symposium, and capstone courses (e.g., NURS 497 and NURS 493).

SafeAssign Plagiarism Check

Each course has an open SafeAssign dropbox. Students can use this dropbox to submit drafts of assignments. SafeAssign will generate a report that checks for plagiarism and academic integrity. It is the student’s responsibility to review the report and make any changes to the assignment before the final submission. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the final submission aligns to West Coast University’s academic integrity policy, located in the syllabus and the University Catalog.

When the final assignment is checked and complete you must submit to its respective assignment dropbox for grading. The SafeAssign draft area is for checking your assignment only and will NOT be graded.

Sigma Theta Tau Nurse Manager Certificate

Sigma Theta Tau Nurse Manager Certificate modules are to be completed following the ATI/STT instructions found in your courses. You must spend a minimum of 70 hours and score 80% or above to pass and receive credit. You must submit proof of completion and the grade to the course instructor in order to receive credit for the Nurse Manager Certificate as part of the NURS 497 portfolio.

The Nurse Manager Certificate is a requirement for the program.

Course Outline

    The Course Outline below serves as a course roadmap, displaying the topics and activities intended to be covered each week. This schedule is subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

        • Objectives reflect the teaching activities that, if engaged in, are intended to lead to specific, measurable student learning outcomes.
        • Course Activities and Assignments outline the teaching strategies used and the assessment requirements that students are to fulfill throughout the duration of the course.

    *Refer to the assignment rubrics in your course for specific grading criteria, if applicable. Rubrics can be found in the My Grades section and/or in your assignment dropbox.

      • Outline of topics, objectives, and activities
    Week Topic Objectives Activities & Assignments
    1 Mental Health and Mental Illness Mental Health and Mental Illness

    1. Compare and contrast the concepts of mental health and mental illness.
    2. Explore the role of resilience in preventing and recovering from mental illness.
    3. Identify personal coping strategies in response to stress.
    4. Identify how social and cultural influences view mental illnesses.
    5. Review how epidemiological studies can improve psychiatric care in the society.
    6. Identify how the criterion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition,    (DSM 5) is utilized to diagnosed psychiatric conditions.
    7. Compare and contrast the scope of practice of a nurse generalist and an advanced practice psychiatric nurse.
    8. Discuss future challenges, opportunities and advocacy for mental healthcare.

    Theories and Therapies

    1. Identify the evolution of psychological theories and how they relate to psychiatric conditions.
    2. Identify the application of psychiatric theories and how they relate to current nursing practice.
    3. Identify the main components of Hildegard Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relationship in nursing.
    4. Apply development theories to patients across the lifespan.

    Treatment Settings

    1. Describe the process of obtaining care for psychiatric problems and care options available.
    2. Describe the nursing process as it pertains to outpatient settings.
    3. List the standard admission criteria for inpatient hospitalization.
    4. Discuss the purpose of identifying the rights of hospitalized psychiatric patients.
    5. Explain how the multidisciplinary treatment team collaborates to plan and implement care for the hospitalized patient.
    6. Discuss the process for preparing patients to return to the community for ongoing care and for promoting the continuation of treatment.

    Legal and Ethical Considerations

    1. Compare and contrast the terms ethics and bioethics, and identify five principles of bioethics.
    2. Identify the steps nurses are advised to take if they suspect negligence or illegal activity on the part of a professional colleague or peer.
    3. Apply legal considerations of patient privilege
      1. after a patient has died,
      2. if the patient tests positive for human immunodeficiency virus, or
      3. if the patient’s employer states a “need to know.”
    4. Provide explanations for situations in which health care professionals have a duty to break patient confidentiality.
    5. Discuss a patient’s civil rights and how they pertain to restraint and seclusion.
    6. Develop awareness of the balance between the patient’s rights and the rights of society with respect to the following legal concepts relevant in nursing and psychiatric mental health nursing:
      1. duty to intervene,
      2. documentation
      3. confidentiality
    7. Identify legal terminology (e.g., torts, negligence, and malpractice) applicable to psychiatric nursing, and explain the significance of each term.
    8. Describe patient’s rights to treatment, right to refuse treatment and the right to informed consent.
    9. Describe Voluntary Admission and Involuntary Hold according to your state law.

    Therapeutic Relationship

    1. Identify concepts of therapeutic nurse client relationship.
    2. Compare and contrast a social relationship and a therapeutic relationship regarding purpose, focus, communications style, and goals.
    3. Explore qualities that foster a therapeutic nurse- patient relationship and qualities that contribute to a non-therapeutic nursing interactive process.
    4. Discuss personal qualities of warmth, genuineness, openness, empathy, respect, autonomy in a nurse-patient relationship.
    5. Identify external factors that can impact communication.
    6. Analyze what is meant by boundaries and the influence of transference and counter transference on boundary blurring.
    7. Understand the use of attending behaviors (eye contact, positioning, observing, listening, body language, vocal qualities, and verbal tracking).
    8. Discuss the influences of disparate values and cultural beliefs on the therapeutic relationship.
    Reading

    • Varcarolis & Halter
      • Ch. 1
      • Ch. 2
      • Ch. 4
      • Ch. 6
      • Ch. 8
    • ATI Review Modules (Complete application exercises at the end of each chapter)
      • Ch. 1
      • Ch. 2
      • Ch. 3
      • Ch. 5
      • Ch. 6
      • Ch. 7

    Content Outline

    • Introduction to psychiatric mental health nursing (Chapter 1)
      • Mental Health
      • Mental Illness
      • Resilience / Recovery
      • Cultural influence
      • Epidemiology
      • Diathesis-stress model
      • Generalist / APRN
      • Advocacy
      • National Alliance on Mental Illness
      • DSM-5
    • Relevant Theories and Therapies for Nursing Practice (Chapter 2)
      • Psychoanalytic
      • Interpersonal
      • Behavioral
      • Cognitive
      • Humanistic
      • Biological
      • Therapeutic Milieu
    • Settings for Psychiatric Care (Chapter 4)
      • Criteria for Inpatient Admission
      • Clinical Pathway
      • Community Resources
      • Prevention
      • Case Management
      • Stabilization
      • Patients’ Rights
      • Therapeutic Milieu
    • Legal and Ethical Guidelines for Safe Psychiatric Care (Chapter 6)
      • Ethical Concepts
      • Mental Health Laws
      • Admission and Discharge Procedures
      • Patients’ Rights
      • Standard of Care
      • Documentation of Care
      • Violence
      • Duty to protect and warn
      • Tort
      • Confidentiality
      • Malpractice
      • Negligence
      • Conservatorship
      • Medication Capacity Hearing
      • Probable Cause Hearing
      • Writ of Habeas Corpus
    • Concepts of Nurse-Patient Relationship (Chapter 8)
      • Nurse-Patient Relationship
      • Personal qualities
      • Attending skills
      • External factors
      • Values, beliefs and self-awareness
      • Factors that encourage and promote patients’ growth
      • Transference
      • Countertransference
      • Rapport
      • Boundaries

    Specific Course Activities

    • Review course syllabus
    • Discuss 5 or more NCLEX-style test questions related to class content

    Assignments

    • ATI Learning System RN Quiz
      • ATI Learning Systems RN Mental Health Practice Quiz 1
      • ATI Learning Systems RN Mental Health Practice Quiz 2
    2 Psychiatric Disorders and Nursing Care Therapeutic Communication

    1. Identify personal and environmental factors that can impede communication.
    2. Discuss the differences between verbal and nonverbal communication, and identify examples of nonverbal communication.
    3. Identify attending behaviors the nurse might focus on to increase communication skills.
    4. Relate problems that can arise when nurses are insensitive to cultural aspects of patients’ communication styles.
    5. Demonstrate the use of techniques that can enhance communication, highlighting what makes them effective.
    6. Demonstrate the use of techniques that can obstruct communication, highlighting what makes them ineffective.
    7. Provide examples of verbal and nonverbal communication of different cultural groups in the areas of a) style, b) eye contact, and c) touch.

    The Nursing Process and Standard of Care

    1. Compare the different approaches a Registered Nurse would consider when performing an assessment with a child, an adolescent, and an older adult.
    2. Explain the use of an interpreter and a translator when performing an assessment with a non- English speaking patient.
    3. Explain principles a nurse follows in planning actions to reach agreed-upon outcome criteria.
    4. Demonstrate basic nursing interventions and evaluation of care following the ANA’s Standards of Practice.
    5. Compare and contrast Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and evidence-based practice (EBP).
    6. Review the content of the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE)

    Serious Mental Illness

    1. Describe common problems and the effects of serious mental illness on daily functioning, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life.
    2. Discuss evidence-based practices for the care of the person with serious mental illness.
    3. Explain the role of the nurse in the care of the person with serious mental illness.
    4. Discuss the causes of treatment non-adherence, and plan interventions to promote treatment adherence.

    Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

    1. Identify communication principle for patients who are expressing delusions hallucination and disordered thinking.
    2. Identify care for a client who has a Brief Psychotic Disorder.
    3. Evaluate the client’s understanding of the disease process.
    4. Evaluate Client Understanding of Education about Clozapine.
    5. Describe the progression of psychotic symptoms and interventions for patient through maintenance phases of schizophrenia.
    6. Discuss the neurobiological-anatomical-genetic findings that indicate that schizophrenia.
    7. Differentiate among the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia in terms of psychopharmacological treatment and effect on quality of life.
    8. Discuss how to deal with common reactions the nurse may experience while working with a patient with schizophrenia.
    9. Compare and contrast the first-generation, second generation and third-generation antipsychotic medications.
    10. Role-play intervening with a patient who is hallucinating, delusional, and exhibiting disorganized thinking.
    11. Discuss psychopharmacological interventions for psychosis.
    12. Discuss medications to treat EPS (antidystonics).
    13. Discuss role of Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) when assessing tardive dyskinesia.

    Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology

    1. Discuss functions of the brain and how psychotropic medications can alter these functions.
    2. Describe how a neurotransmitter functions as a neural messenger.
    3. Identify how specific brain functions are altered in certain mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia).
    4. Describe how the use of imaging techniques can be helpful for understanding mental illness.
    5. Describe the effects of dopamine blockage that may result in motor abnormalities.
    6. Describe the result of blockage of the muscarinic receptors.
    7. Identify the main neurotransmitters affected by the following psychotropic drugs and their subgroups:
      1. Antianxiety agents
      2. Sedative-hypnotic agents
      3. Antidepressants
      4. Mood stabilizers
      5. Antipsychotic agents
      6. Anticholinesterase
    8. Identify special dietary and drug restrictions in a teaching plan for a patient taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).
    9. Identify specific cautions you might incorporate into your medication teaching plan with regard to:
      1. Herbal medicine
      2. Genetic pharmacology

    Cultural Implications

    1. Explain the importance of culturally relevant care in psychiatric mental health nursing practice.
    2. Discuss potential problems in applying Western psychological theory to patients of other cultures.
    3. Compare and contrast Western nursing beliefs, values, and practices with the beliefs, values, and practices of patients from diverse cultures.

    Anger, Aggression, and Violence

    1. Identify risk factors for violent behavior.
    2. Compare and contrast three theories that explore the determinants for anger, aggression, and violence.
    3. Compare and contrast interventions for a patient with healthy coping skills with those for a patient with marginal coping behaviors.
    4. Apply principles of de-escalation with a moderately angry patient.
    5. Describe criteria for the use of seclusion or restraint over verbal intervention.
    6. Discuss types of assessment and their value in the nursing process.
    Reading

    • Varcarolis & Halter
      • Ch. 9
      • Ch. 7
      • Ch. 12
      • Ch. 3
      • Ch. 5
      • Ch. 27
      • Ch. 32
    • ATI Review Modules (complete application exercises at the end of each chapter)
      • Ch. 3
      • Ch. 15
      • Ch. 24
      • Ch. 31

    Content Outline

    • Communication and Clinical Interview (Chapter 9)
      • Opening an interaction
      • Factors that affect communication
      • Closed ended versus open ended questions
      • Nonverbal communication
        • Reflecting
        • Feeling
        • Paraphrasing
        • Summarizing
        • Questioning
        • Clarifying
        • General leads
        • Broad opening
        • Acceptance
        • Focusing
        • Touch
        • Silence
      • Closing the interview
    • Application of Nursing Process in Psychiatric Care (Chapter 7)
      • Standard 1: Assessment
      • Standard 2: Diagnosis
      • Standard 3: Outcome Identification
      • Standard 4: Planning
      • Standard 5: Implementation
      • Standard 6: Evaluation
      • Mental Status Examination
      • Psychiatric Care Plan Documentation
    • Serious Mental Illness (Chapter 32)
      • Mental Illness Across Lifespan
      • Evidence-Based Treatment
      • Anosognosia
      • Stigma
      • Deinstitutionalization
      • Psychiatric advance directives
      • Recovery model
      • Social Skills Training
    • Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (Chapter 12)
      • Prevalence
      • Course of the disease
      • Application of the Nursing Process
      • Communication Techniques
      • Health Teaching and Health Promotion
      • Milieu Management
      • Promotion of Self-Care Activities
      • Pharmacologic Interventions
        • First-Generation antipsychotics
        • Second and Third-Generation antipsychotics
        • Extrapyramidal side effects (EPSs)
        • Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
        • Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)
    • Biological Treatment for Psychiatric Disorders (Chapter 3)
      • Structure and Function of the brain
      • Mechanism of Action of Psychotropic Drugs
      • Pharmacodynamics
      • Pharmacokinetics
      • Therapeutic Index
    • Cultural Implications for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (Chapter 5)
      • Culture, Race, Ethnicity, and Minority Status
      • Populations at Risk for Mental Illness and Inadequate Care
      • Culturally Competent Care
    • Management of Behavioral Crisis in the Clinical Setting (Chapter 27)
      • Managing aggression in the Clinical Setting
      • Epidemiology
      • Comorbidity
      • Etiology
      • De-escalation techniques
      • Criteria for Seclusion
      • Criteria for Restraints

    Specific Course Activities

    •  Discuss 5 or more NCLEX-style test questions related to class content

    Assignments

    • ATI Pharmacology Made Easy 4.0 Tutorial
      •  Neurologic System Part 2
    • ATI Communicator Case Study
      • The Communicator 2.0 Video interaction: Client displaying aggressive behavior.
    • ATI Real Life Mental Health Case Study
      • Schizophrenia
    • ATI Nurse Logic Tutorial
      • Priority Setting Frameworks
    • Quiz 1
    3 Disorders and Interventions Depressive Disorders

    1. Prioritize findings to collaborate with the treatment team.
    2. Compare and contrast major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.
    3. Explore disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and its impact on children.
    4. Identify behaviors in patients with depression in regard to each of the following areas:
      1. affect
      2. thought processes
      3. feelings
      4. physical behavior
      5. communication
    5. Identify nursing diagnoses for patients with depression, outcome criteria, interventions and evaluation.
    6. Identify unrealistic expectations a nurse may have while working with a patient with depression, and compare them to your own personal thoughts.
    7. Identify principles of communication useful in working with patients with depression.
    8. Compare the advantages of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) over the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
    9. Describe the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for Depressive Disorder.
    10. Describe the symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
    11. Identify the main neurotransmitters that are affected by antidepressant medications.
    12. Identify special dietary and drug restrictions in a teaching plan for a patient taking Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI).

    Bipolar and Related Disorders

    1. Prioritize interventions for a client during acute mania.
    2. Evaluate effectiveness of mood stabilizers and second generation antipsychotic agents.
    3. Identify signs and symptoms of patient with mania related to mood, behavior and thought process.
    4. Identify nursing diagnoses appropriate for a patient with mania, and include supporting data.
    5. Identify methods of communication that may be used with a patient experiencing mania.
    6. Distinguish between signs of early and severe lithium toxicity.
    7. Identify expected versus toxicity side effects of Lithium Therapy.
    8. Compare and contrast basic clinical conditions that may respond better to anticonvulsant therapy with those that may respond better to lithium therapy.
    9. Identify the use of electroconvulsive therapy for a patient with bipolar disorder.
    10. Review items presented in the patient and family teaching plan with a patient with bipolar disorder.
    11. Distinguish the focus of treatment for a person in the acute manic phase from the focus of treatment for a person in the continuation or maintenance phase.

    Suicide and Non-suicidal Self-Injury

    1. Identify advocacy for patients who are suicidal.
    2. Review safety plan for patients who are acutely suicidal.
    3. Describe the profile of suicide in the United States, noting psychosocial and cultural factors that affect risk.
    4. Identify common precipitating events for suicide attempts.
    5. Describe risk factors for suicide.
    6. Identify the most frequent coexisting psychiatric disorders.
    7. Identify the components of Columbia Suicide Rating Scale to assess suicide.
    8. Describe possible reactions a nurse may have when beginning work with suicidal patients.
    9. Discuss examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
    10. Describe basic-level interventions that take place in the hospital or community.
    11. Identify key elements of suicide precautions and environmental safety factors in the hospital.
    12. Compare and contrast suicide versus self-injurious behavior (SIB).
    13. Explain the importance of the nurse’s role in psychoeducational family support.

    Therapeutic Groups

    1. Identify basic concepts related to group work and phases of group development.
    2. Define task and maintenance roles of group members.
    3. Discuss the therapeutic factors that operate in all groups.
    4. Discuss seven types of groups commonly led by basic level registered nurses.
    5. Describe a group intervention for (1) a member who is silent or (2) a member who is monopolizing the group.
    Reading

    • Varcarolis & Halter
      • Ch. 14
      • Ch. 13
      • Ch. 25
      • Ch. 34
    • ATI Review Modules (complete application exercises at the end of each chapter)
      • Ch. 8
      • Ch. 10
      • Ch. 13
      • Ch. 14
      • Ch. 22
      • Ch. 23
      • Ch. 30

    Content Outline

    • Depressive Disorders (Chapter 14)
      • Dysthymic Disorder
      • Vegetative signs
      • Communication Techniques
      • Health Teaching and Health Promotion
      • Milieu Management
      • Promotion of Self-Care Activities
      • Pharmacological Interventions: SSRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, SNRIs, NDRIs
      • Atypical antidepressants
      • Complementary: St. John’s Wort, SamE
      • Serotonin Syndrome
      • Discontinuation Syndrome
      • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
      • Light therapy
      • Exercise, Sleep, Healthy diet
      • Vagus nerve stimulation
      • Deep brain stimulation
      • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
    • Bipolar Disorders (Chapter 13)
      • Bipolar I and II Disorders
      • Cyclothymic Disorder
      • Mania, Hypomania
      • Application of the Nursing Process
      • Communication principles during acute mania
      • Milieu Management
      • Promotion of Self-Care Activities
      • Lithium
      • Anti-epileptics: Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine, Valproate
      • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
      • Support Groups
      • Health Teaching and Health Promotion
    • Suicide and Non-suicidal Self-Injury (Chapter 25)
      • Risk Factors
      • Etiology
      • Application of the Nursing Process
      • Verbal and Nonverbal cues
      • Lethality of Suicide Plan
      • Assessment Tool: Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
      • Self-Assessment
      • Suicide / Self-injurious behavior
      • Milieu Management
      • Health Teaching and Health Promotion
      • Case Management
      • Pharmacological Intervention
    • Therapeutic Groups (Chapter 34)
      • Therapeutic Factors
      • Feedback
      • Group Process
      • Group Work / Content
      • Planning Phases
      • Group Member Roles
      • Nurse as a Group Leader

    Specific Course Activities

    •  Discuss 5 or more NCLEX-style test questions related to class content

    Assignments

    • ATI Real Life Mental Health Case Studies
      • Mood Disorder
    • Quiz 2
    4 Stress; Anxiety Disorders; Abuse; Sexual Assault Stress Response and Stress Management

    1. Recognize the short- and long-term physiological consequences of stress.
    2. Compare and contrast Cannon’s (fight-or-flight), Selye’s (general adaptation syndrome), and psychoneuroimmunological models of stress.
    3. Describe how responses to stress are mediated through perception, personality, social support, culture, and spirituality.
    4. Assess life change units using the classic Life- Changing Events Questionnaire.
    5. Identify and describe holistic approaches to stress management.
    6. Explain how cognitive techniques can help increase a person’s tolerance for stressful events.

    Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

    1. Identify interventions for moderate, severe and panic level of anxiety.
    2. Compare and contrast the four levels of anxiety in relation to perceptual field, ability to learn, and physical and other defining characteristics.
    3. Identify defense mechanisms, and consider one adaptive and one maladaptive use of each.
    4. Identify genetic, biological, psychological, and cultural factors that may contribute to anxiety disorders.
    5. Describe clinical manifestations of each anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
    6. Formulate appropriate nursing diagnoses that can be used in treating a person with an anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
    7. Describe feelings that may be experienced by nurses caring for patients with anxiety disorders.
    8. Identify nursing outcome criteria for patients with a generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
    9. Describe basic nursing interventions used for patients with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
    10. Discuss classes of medications appropriate for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

    Child, Older Adult, and Intimate Partner Violence

    1. Identify risk factors for child abuse.
    2.  Identify the nature and scope of family violence and factors contributing to its occurrence.
    3. Identify indicators of
      1. physical abuse
      2. sexual abuse
      3. emotional abuse
      4. neglect
    4. Discuss the epidemiological theory of abuse in terms of stresses on the perpetrator, vulnerable person, and environment.
    5. Describe areas to assess when interviewing a person who has experienced abuse.
    6. Identify common emotional responses the nurse might experience when faced with a person subjected to abuse.
    7. Identify nursing diagnoses for the survivor of abuse, and list supporting data from the assessment.
    8. Identify a safety plan with the essential elements for a victim of intimate partner abuse.
    9. Describe the legal and ethical responsibilities of nurses when working with families experiencing violence.

    Sexual Assault

    1. Define sexual assault, sexual violence, rape, and attempted rape.
    2. Discuss the implications for the under-reporting of sexual assault.
    3. Describe the profile of the victim and the perpetrator of sexual assault.
    4. Distinguish between the acute and long-term phases of the rape-trauma syndrome, and identify some common reactions during each phase.
    5. Identify five areas to assess when working with a person who has been sexually assaulted.
    6. Analyze personal thoughts and feelings regarding rape and its impact on survivors.
    7. Identify six overall guidelines for nursing interventions related to sexual assault.
    8. Discuss the long-term psychological effects of sexual assault that might lead a patient to seek psychological care.
    9. Identify three outcome criteria that would signify successful interventions for a person who has suffered a sexual assault.
    Reading

    • Varcarolis & Halter
      • Ch. 10
      • Ch. 15
      • Ch. 28
      • Ch. 29
    • ATI Review Modules (complete application exercise at the end of the chapter)
      • Ch. 4
      • Ch. 9
      • Ch. 11
      • Ch. 21
      • Ch. 29
      • Ch. 32
      • Ch. 33

    Content Outline

    • Stress Responses and Stress Management (Chapter 10)
      • Responses to and Effects of Stress
      • Neurotransmitter Response
      • Immune Response
      • Mediators
      • Nursing Management of stress Response.
    • Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (Chapter 15)
      • Levels of Anxiety
      • Defense Mechanisms
      • Coping Mechanisms
      • Panic Disorder
      • Specific Phobias
      • Agoraphobia
      • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
      • Body dysmorphic Disorder
      • Hoarding Disorder
      • Trichotillomania
      • Excoriation Disorder
      • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
      • Panic Disorder
      • Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder
      • Anxiety due to medical conditions
      • Pharmacological Interventions: SSRIs, Buspirone, Benzodiazepines
    • Child, Older Adult, and Intimate Partner Violence (Chapter 28)
      • Types of Abuse
      • Cycle of Abuse
      • Epidemiology of Child, Intimate Partner and Older Adult Abuse
      • Comorbidity
      • Environmental Factors
      • Application of the Nursing Process
      • Mandated reporter
      • Counseling
      • Case Management
      • Milieu Management
      • Promotion of Self-Care Activities
      • Prevention of Abuse
    • Sexual Assault (Chapter 29)
      • Profile of Sexual Perpetrators
      • Relationships Between Victims and Perpetrators
      • Psychological Effects of Sexual Assault
      • Rape-Trauma Syndrome
      • Application of the Nursing Process
      • Reporting duties

    Specific Course Activities

    •  Discuss 5 or more NCLEX-style test questions related to class content

    Assignments

    • ATI Real Life Mental Health Case Studies