Health and Professional Practice

The content of this course will be evidence based.  Exemplars may vary.

I.             VARIABLES

Physiological Variable

                Metabolism

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Canada Food Guide
• Assessment re: metabolic functioning
• Case studies r/t nutrition (poverty, illness influences)

                Oxygenation

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: respiratory functioning
• Case studies r/t oxygenation
• Terminology used to assess respiratory functioning

                Circulation

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: circulatory functioning
• Terminology used to assess circulatory functioning

                Cellular Dynamics

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Chain of infection

                Elimination

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: urological/bowel functioning
• Terminology r/t urinary functioning

                Mobility

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: mobility, ROM, ADL
• Sleep and rest assessment

                Reproduction

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: reproductive functioning

                Neuro-Sensory

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Introduction to alteration in perception & cognition
• Assessment re: neuro-sensory (CNS) functioning

                Protection

• Link personal experience with nursing theory and knowledge from Biology
• Assessment re: skin & risk factors for altered skin integrity
• Environmental safety
• Alterations in reality

                Exemplars:

                                Alzheimers, dementia

                                Psychosis, hallucinations, delusions

                                Early psychosis intervention

Psychosocial Variable

• Intro to Integration (psychological) & Relatedness (sociological) as organizers for assessment of psychosocial variable
• Problem-solving in psychiatric nursing

                Integration

• Integration (psychological) as organizer for the assessment of self-concept (self-esteem, body-image, identity, self-ideal, sexuality), emotions (affect, mood, patterns), & cognition (thought processes, insight, memory, judgment).

                Relatedness

• Discussion of Relatedness (sociological) as organizer for the assessment of communication (verbal, non-verbal), relationships (significant others, dynamics), roles (conflict, overload, expectations), & social history (family, education, work)

                Exemplars:

                                Anxiety

                                Withdrawal

                                Stigma

                                Genogram & ecomap (as tools for assessment)

                                Crisis (intro.)

                                Mental Status Exam (as tool for assessment)(intro.)

Cultural Variable

• Intro to culture and subcultures (diversity)
• Awareness of diversity issues
• Integration of cultural diversity into concepts

Spiritual Variable

                Purpose & meaning

                Interconnectedness

                Faith

                Forgiveness

                Religion

                Creativity

                Transcendence

Developmental Variable

                Growth

                Lifespan

                Transition

II.            CURRICULAR THREADS

Health Promotion

• Health promotion
• Holism
• Healthy family
• Genogram
• Family APGAR

Professionalism/Caring

• Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing Department (DCPN) policies and College policies
• Caring attributes (6 ‘C’s)
• Intro to Code of Ethics, Practice Competencies
• Mental Health Act (intro.)
• History of RPN, role of RPN
• DCPN philosophy & conceptual framework
• Professional nurse/client relationship
• Legal implications for psychiatric nursing
• Conflict resolution (introduction)
• CRPNBC professional issues and trends
• APA format

III.          RELATED PHARMACOLOGY

• Introduction to pharmacology
• Abbreviations
• Formula for calculating dosages
• Medication administration process
• Vitamins & minerals
• Laxatives & stool softeners
• Antidiarrheals

IV.          THEARPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS

• Links with philosophy/conceptual framework and related concepts
• Overview of Egan Model of communication
• Self-awareness
• The nurse-client relationship
• Attending
• Warmth
• Respect
• Genuineness
• Basic empathy
• Intro to probing
• Intro to summarizing
• Assertiveness
• Intro to collegiality

V.            CARING PRACTICE

• Hand washing
• Use of disposable gloves
• Standard precautions/chain of infection
• Moving, lifting and transferring clients
• Use of mechanical lifts
• Range of motion exercises
• Head to toe assessment
• Vital signs:  TPR and BP
• Height and weight
• Tub bath, bed bath and shower
• Oral care
• Perineal care
• Dressing an adult
• Applying adult briefs
• Back rub
• Bed making
• Administration of oral medication (introduction)