Undergraduate Course: Mental Health: Life Sciences and Nursing Care 2 (NUST08022)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is a year 2 core course within the Bachelor of Nursing with Honours (Adult). It aims to provide students with an understanding of individuals' experience of common mental health problems and the impact that this has on their ability to engage with everyday life. Underpinned by the biopsychosocial model of mental illness, and taking a recovery-oriented approach, this course will equip students to engage with people who experience mental health problems as people who are contextually situated within their particular social context. The development of relational understanding and interpersonal skills is central to this course which will provide students with the opportunity to practice their communication skills in a safe environment.
Indicative knowledge content includes common psychiatric diagnoses, symptoms and therapeutic approaches; biological, social and psychological theories of mental illness; Recovery; particular mental health issues affecting people at different life stages; suicide. Skills are developed through communication skills workshops including working with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. |
| Course description |
Aims: The course aims to
- provide students with a broad knowledge that enables them to understand the context, and be sensitive to the experience, of people with a diagnosed mental health problem, enabling them to engage empathetically.
- provide students with a broad knowledge that enables them to identify signs of those who might be experiencing mental health problems and would benefit from specialist assessment.
- equip students with an understanding of, and the ability to competently practice, a range of interpersonal and communication skills.
- Enable students to develop as reflective practitioners.
Outline content
The following is indicative content. The balance of content is subject to alteration in line with UK and global priorities in order to remain contemporary:
- Historical, policy and global context of mental health and mental health services including stigma
- Social, psychological and biological theory of mental illness
- Recovery and recovery-oriented practice
- Therapeutic approaches including pharmaceutical, psychological therapies, family based and psychosocial approaches
- People experiencing altered perceptions
- People experiencing altered mood
- Adverse childhood events, trauma and mental health
- Suicide
- Self harm
- Mental health as it relates to ages and life stages
- Mental health as it relates to particular groups such as asylum seekers, LGBT+ community, people who misuse substances
- Mental health legislation
- Physical health care of people with mental health problems
- Therapeutic relationships and interpersonal skills theory and practice
- Promoting mental health
- Assessment and care planning
- Multi-disciplinary team members and their scope of practice
Students will learn through three main route:
Lectures
The course contains 20 hours of lectures to introduce students to main concepts in mental health care. These lectures provide students with the required building blocks of knowledge to be able to engage with the scenario-based study circle (Suaranta and Moisio 2006) work. The lectures will include discussion and other forms of interaction and some will be taught as flipped classroom with online lectures to be viewed prior to attending class. To maximise student learning the key reading should be done in advance.
Communication and interpersonal skills workshops
Communication and interpersonal skills workshops will run across five sessions in which students practice, reflect on and develop an understanding of their own skills as well as the theories underpinning therapeutic communication. These workshops include a workshop focused on working with the person who practises self-harm, and another focused on talking with the person who is experiencing suicidal thoughts.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 90 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Course paper (2000 to 2500 words) (100%) |
| Feedback |
Formative assessment is gained through discussion and feedback related to the group work. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the connection between social, historical and policy context and the experience of people with a diagnosed mental health problem, understanding of common mental health problems and therapeutic approaches implemented by nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate a knowledge and the ability to apply the principles of assessment, care planning and evaluation as the cornerstone to holistic, person-centred care which integrates physical and mental health and is recovery-oriented.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of therapeutic relationships, interpersonal and communication skills and apply these in the care of the person with mental health problems and their families/carers.
- Demonstrate key employability skills including teamwork, communication, ICT, presentation, learning through reflection on action, and organizational skills including delegation of tasks.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage in person-centred, reflective practice and work in accordance with the relevant legislative, professional, ethical and policy frameworks.
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Reading List
Chambers M. (ed) (2017) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The craft of caring (3rd ed.) Hodder Arnold: London.
Rogers A and Pilgrim D (2010) A sociology of mental health and illness (4th Ed) McGraw-Hill: Maidenhead
Gamble C and Brennan G (ed) (2006) Working with Serious Mental Illness: A manual for Clinical Practice (2nd ed.) Elsevier: Philadelphia, PA.
Trenoweth S. (2017) Promoting recovery in mental health nursing Sage Learning Matters: London |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
- Development of skilled communicators with a depth of knowledge and skill pertaining to communication in the context of individual relationships, as well as the ability to communicate around emotionally and psychologically sensitive issues.
- Development of personal and intellectual autonomy through participation in the study circles students are required to develop their own knowledge through engagement with evidence as well as contribute to the development of others' knowledge through discussion and sharing. |
| Keywords | Mental health,nursing,communication,interpersonal skills |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Rosie Stenhouse
Tel: (0131 6)51 5160
Email: Rosie.Stenhouse@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Lisa Binder
Tel: (0131 6)51 3969
Email: lisa.binder@ed.ac.uk |
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