Nursing (NURS) 527

Overview

Advanced knowledge of mental health and the treatment of mental disorders is germane to the provision of high-quality Nurse Practitioner practice in the community setting. This course is designed to develop a solid understanding of the approach to the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental illness, as well as, how to screen for, diagnose and treat mental disorders commonly seen in the primary care setting.

NURS 527 is a required course within the program of study leading to the Post Master's Diploma: Nurse Practitioner or the Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner degree.

Outline

NURS 527 is comprised of 6 modules:

• Module 1: Concepts in Mental Health
• Module 2: The Approach to the Diagnosis of Mental Disorders
• Module 3: Pharmacological Treatment of Mental Disorders
• Module 4: Psychotherapies for Mental Disorders
• Module 5: Special Issues in Mental Health
• Module 6: Mental Health Issues in Pediatrics

Learning outcomes

Building on knowledge of neurodevelopment, physiology, pharmacology, and the Nurse Practitioner approach to care of the adult, NURS 527 is designed to help students achieve the following goals:

• Apply current, credible and reliable research, literature and standards to inform decision-making in mental health environments
• Utilize diagnostic and screening tools to assess for and evaluate mental health/illness
• Identify individual and group risks for mental illness
• Identify mental health emergencies and respond appropriately
• Prescribe and counsel clients on psycho-therapeutics/pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions across the lifespan
• Describe evidence-based psychotherapies most commonly used for mental health conditions
• Evaluate effectiveness of the management plan to identify required modifications and/or terminations of treatment in mental health conditions

• Develop a therapeutic counselling relationship that is conducive to optimal health outcomes:
  1. Develop with the client a shared understanding of scope of services, expectations, client’s strengths and limitations, and priorities.
  2. Identify barriers that interfere with client’s goals.
  3. Use developmentally, socio-demographically and culturally relevant
  4. communication techniques and tools.
  5. Evaluate effectiveness of the counselling relationship and refer to appropriate professionals when needed.
• Provide counselling interventions as indicated by the management plan:
  1. Integrate theories of cognitive and emotional development across the lifespan.
  2. Identify impact of potential and real BIASES for the creation of safe spaces.
  3. Consider the impact of the client’s personal and CONTEXTUAL FACTORS.
  4. Provide care using TRAUMA AND VIOLENCE-INFORMED APPROACHES.
  5. Identify root causes of trauma, including INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA, with the client and refer to appropriate professionals.
• Identify ethical and legal issues related to mental health care in NP practice

Evaluation

1. Self-assessment - Quizzes

   Students are required to complete several short multiple-choice-type quizzes within each module. Each quiz is designed to provide feedback until the correct answer is selected. In this way, the assessment processes become a secondary learning tool.

2. Course assessment - Exams

   There are three exams placed at intervals throughout the course. An average mark of 70% is required to successfully pass the course.

Materials

Physical course materials

The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition).  Washington, DC: Author. (Recommended, but not supplied)

There are no textbooks for this course.

Other Materials

• Study Guide
• On-line articles, references and websites

Technical Requirements

Computer System

In order to successfully complete this course, you must own or have ready access to certain computer hardware and software programs. For complete and up-to-date information on the minimum computer requirements required to complete the graduate nursing courses, visit the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies technical site.

Important links

• Student services in FHD
• Support services at AU
• Faculty of Graduate Studies
• Faculty of Health Disciplines
• Graduate Calendar