Emergency Mental Health Nursing

Curriculum guideline

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Course
PNUR 4574
Discontinued
No
Course code
PNUR 4574
Descriptive
Emergency Mental Health Nursing
Department
Nursing - Psychiatric
Faculty
Health Sciences
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
32
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Lecture: 4 hours/week

Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Learning activities

In this course, students may engage in the following learning activities: discussion, case studies, debate, problem-solving, and group work.

Course description
This course examines psychiatric nursing in relation to mental health emergencies. Students will explore relevant legislation, legal and ethical issues, triage processes, and strategies that support the psychiatric nurse in the provision of care to those experiencing a mental health crisis. Students will develop skills in performing mental status exams and risk assessments, managing crisis calls, and implementing urgent psychiatric nursing interventions to respond to episodic mental health challenges. Assessment criteria, tools, interventions, and emergency mental health dispositions are addressed in the context of variances in wellness. Throughout the course, there is a focus on developing advanced interviewing skills to effectively assess and respond to mental health emergencies.
Course content
  • Psychiatric Nursing Conceptual Framework
  • Psychiatric nursing scope of practice in mental health emergencies including legal and ethical issues, best practices, advocacy, and leadership
  • Mental health and risk assessment tools including documentation
  • Relevant legislation for mental health emergencies such as emergency procedures, extended leave, duty to warn, and consent
  • Crisis and emergency intervention, triage, and referrals in community and hospital settings
  • Psychiatric nursing role and responsibilities in the management and treatment of episodic mental health challenges
  • Advanced psychiatric nursing interviewing skills

 

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe relevant provincial/territorial legislation related to emergency mental health nursing;
  2. Develop advanced psychiatric nursing interviewing skills to facilitate assessment and intervention;
  3. Analyze legal and ethical issues related to emergency mental health nursing practices;
  4. Demonstrate competency when completing mental health assessments, risk assessments, and triaging emergency mental health calls; and
  5. Examine a variety of mental health challenges in relation to emergency mental health nursing practices. 
Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a letter-graded course.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor’s Course Outline.

 

Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.

Prerequisites

Currently active in the Psychiatric Nursing Degree Completion program. 

Students in the Degree Completion program are required to maintain a minimum grade of 65% (C+) in all courses in order to progress in the program. 

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None