RNSG 1141 Nursing Care to Promote Mental Health
Nursing Care to Promote Mental Health is offered in the second semester of the first year of the nursing program. This course focuses on the nursing needs of culturally diverse individuals throughout the lifespan who are experiencing alterations in mental health. Content presented includes: basic concepts and foundations in mental health nursing; therapeutic approaches to mental health care; and nursing care of the patient with anxiety, schizophrenia, somatoform disorders, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, mood disorders, aggressive behavior, and violent or abusive behavior. Additional content covered includes nursing care of the child, the adolescent, the elderly, and special needs populations with mental health disorders. Assessment of the mental health patient is introduced. The curriculum threads of nutrition, pharmacology, growth and development, communication, cultural diversity, teaching/learning process, nursing process/critical thinking, legal/ethical factors, technological competence, safety, the health illness continuum, therapeutic interventions, and disaster/emergency management continue to be incorporated throughout the course. The roles of the associate degree nurse as a provider of care, a manager of care, and a member of the discipline of nursing are discussed. The nurses role in the promotion and restoration of optimal mental health is included. The lecture and laboratory component of this course introduces the student to the application of the nursing process to patients with selected mental health alterations. Emphasis is placed on identification of psychosocial problems with appropriate therapeutic interventions and rationale. Emphasis on goal setting, evaluation of goal achievement, and prioritization of care is continued in this course. In the clinical setting, the student will apply learned knowledge and psychomotor/psychosocial skills in providing nursing care for one or more assigned culturally diverse patients in diverse care settings including acute, ambulatory and community experiences. The student will gain experience in the performance of nursing skills utilized in the care of patients with mental health alterations. The student continues to gain experience in collaborating with members of the health care team. This is a web enhanced course. Students may be required to access information, submit assignments, or test online through Blackboard.