Course Description
This course continues an examination of a person’s experience with episodic variances in wellness throughout the life cycle and their impact on client system stability and harmony. The Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing Conceptual Framework is expanded upon and applied to the health assessment of the individual client. Emphasis is on the integration and application of the concepts related to episodic variances in wellness on previous concepts and patterns to broaden the scope of practice. Human pathophysiology and pharmacological management related to selected exemplars of acute variances in wellness will be presented. Professional relationships, ethical and legal issues and trends in health care will be critically examined.
Course Content
In this course, within the context of the Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing’s philosophy and conceptual framework, students will focus on developing the psychiatric nursing role and promoting health in clients experiencing episodic variances in wellness through an understanding, acquisition and application of psychiatric nursing theory.
Specific concepts that will be addressed are:
VARIABLES
- Physiological Variable
- Metabolism
- Variances in metabolism function: hepatic dysfunction
- Oxygenation
- Variances in respiratory function: pulmonary embolism
- Circulation
- Variances in circulatory function: hypertension
- Cellular Dynamics
- Variances in cellular responses: tuberculosis
- Elimination
- Variances in urological/bowel function: chrohn's and ulcerative colitis
- Mobility
- Variances in mobility function: spinal column disturbances
- Reproduction
- Variances in reproductive function: sexually transmitted infections (STI)
- Neuro-sensory
- Variances in neuro-sensory function: increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
- Protection
- Variance in protection: tuberculosis: HIV/AIDS, STI
- Psychological Variable
- Integration: as an organizer for the assessment of self-concept, emotions & cognition
- Problem-solving in psychiatric nursing
- Patterns of communication
- Crisis theory and intervention
- DSM-5 (as a tool for assessment)
- Exemplars:
- Variances in psychological integration: paranoia, eating disorders, personality disorders, and violence and abuse.
- Variances in sexuality and gender identity.
- Sociocultural Variable
- Relationships; significant others
- Continued awareness of diversity issues
- Exemplars:
- Variances in relating: personality patterns, abuse, violence
- Spiritual Variable
- Purpose & meaning
- Interconnectedness
- Faith
- Forgiveness
- Religion
- Creativity
- Transcendence
- Developmental Variable
- Growth
- Lifespan
- Transition
CURRICULAR THREADS
- Wellness-Illness Continuum
- Holism
- Primary Prevention
- Variance from Wellness
- Prevention as Intervention
- Health Promotion:
- Preventative health practices to various episodic health challenges
- Promoting health practices to enable the person to increase control over and improve their own health
- Health promotion to allow the person to make informed choices
- Universal Experiences: Crisis, Hope, Comfort, Loss, Power, Connectedness, Resiliency
- Professional Values & Professional Caring
- DCPN & College policies
- Professional attributes: Compassion, Comportment, Commitment, Conscience, Competence, Confidence, Collegiality
- Legal & Ethical issues, Clients rights & guidelines
- Change theory
- Professional Role, professional nurse-client relationship
- Cultural Competence
- Advocacy
- Health Care Delivery System
RELATED PHARMACOLOGY
- Application of pharmacological principles to exemplars
DOUGLAS COLLEGE PSYCHIATRIC NURSING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
- Application of the conceptual framework to episodic health challenges to:
- Variables
- Client system
- Basic structure, process, function
- Environment
- Health, Wellness-Illness continuum
- System stability/harmony
- Prevention as Intervention
- Stressors, stability
- Recovery
Learning Activities
It is the intent of faculty to facilitate student learning, foster ways of knowing and promote critical thinking through a variety of teaching/learning methods including lecture, audio-visual aids, group discussion case study analysis, computer-assisted learning programs and group and/or individual research and presentations.
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
Students will continue to develop their understanding and application of the Douglas College Department of Psychiatric Nursing conceptual framework and the Psychiatric Nursing curricular threads (wellness-illness continuum, professional values, professional caring & health care delivery system), and within the context of the environmental, health and psychiatric nursing domains, to integrate the care of the person domain (client system, psychological, physiological, sociocultural, spiritual & developmental variables) for clients experiencing acute variances in wellness. Students will continue to expand and apply knowledge pertaining to pathophysiology and pharmacology concepts related to selected illness exemplars.
Textbook Materials
A list of required and optional textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.