Course Description
This course examines an individual's experience with ongoing and episodic mental health variances in wellness throughout the life cycle and the impact on system stability and harmony. The Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing Conceptual Framework is applied to the health assessment of the individual client. This course integrates human pathophysiology and pharmacological management related to selected exemplars of variances. Professional relationships, ethical and legal issues, and trends in health care will be examined in relation to psychiatric nursing practice. This is a fully online course.
Learning Activities
In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as discussions, group work, case studies, reading assignments, and teleconference.
Means of Assessment
The course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the psychiatric nurse's role in the assessment, prevention, and intervention of ongoing and episodic mental health challenges;
- Utilize the Psychiatric Nursing Conceptual Framework to assess an individual's health experiences and responses;
- Demonstrate the purpose and process of the mental status examination including risk assessment;
- Identify the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) professional and practice standards for Registered Psychiatric Nurses and the legal and ethical responsibilities related to documentation;
- Analyze the implications of the British Columbia Mental Health Act on voluntarily and involuntarily admitted clients;
- Utilize the current version of the DSM to examine symptomatology and diagnostic criteria for various mental health diagnoses;
- Discuss a variety of treatment modalities, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and integrate pharmacology in relation to the management of various mental health diagnoses.
Textbook Materials
A list of required and optional textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.