SKOMPDPRA4 Nursing Patients with Psychiatric Health Deficits Course description

In this course, students will learn about mental health work, relational skills and factors that promote and harm the mental health of individuals and groups. People’s resources and possibilities, but also their vulnerabilities as individuals, are areas of focus. The significance of close relationships and society’s influence are important aspects of mental health and are emphasised in the course. This includes patient phenomena such as hope and hopelessness, pain and pain relief, exhaustion and energy.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can present mental health work in a historical perspective
• can explain different theoretical perspectives on mental health disorders and mental health work: the significance of relationships, professional ethics, aesthetics, dignity and integrity in dealings with patients and next of kin
• can discuss how psychosis, personality disorders, anxiety, mood disorders and drug addiction can influence the patients’ fundamental needs and self-understanding
• can describe mental health and psychosocial challenges among refugees and immigrants: trauma, loss, grief and identity
• can describe how stigma, exclusion, discrimination and racism can influence mental health and psychosocial health
• can assess what impedes and promotes communication and how poor health and unmet needs influence professional relations
• can describe coping strategies and concepts such as improvement processes, user participation, recovery and empowerment
• can explain different understandings of mental health, illness and treatment, and how nurses can interact with patients in a culturally sensitive manner
• can explain how health and social policy, including official requirements and compulsory provisions, can be of significance to mental health practices
• can discuss social and health issues, including neglect, violence, assault, drug-related and socio-economic problems, and can identify and follow up people with such challenges and implement necessary measures and/or treatment, or refer the patient to an expert in the field

Skills

The student

• can apply key milieu therapeutic principles, and relevant mapping tools related to patients with mental health issues and/or drug addiction
• can integrate knowledge from pathophysiology and pharmacology in the nursing of patients with mental health issues and/or drug addiction
• can apply communication and interaction skills when encountering people with mental health issues and their next of kin
• can establish, maintain and conclude relations in academic and professional contexts
• can use relevant documentation tools on the basis of a holistic understanding
• can continuously assess situations that entail a risk for patients and/or staff, and prevent undesirable incidents
• can demonstrate guidance skills and receive and make use of feedback on his/her own behaviour

Competence

The student

• can reflect on his/her own professional practice and power structures when encountering people with mental health issues and drug addiction
• can reflect on existing procedures and methods, and take the initiative to engage in dialogue about the implementation of new knowledge and new work methods

Clinical training in the health and care sector in a municipality in Nordland, digital learning resources, lectures, group work, written assignments, logs, seminars, supervision and self-study.

Students will receive approximately a week of preparatory theoretical teaching before embarking on eight weeks’ clinical training with direct patient contact.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Attendance in compulsory activities, 90% in periods of clinical training
• Participation in seminars, compulsory attendance of 80% in seminars. Peer feedback
• Simulation, relational skills and cooperation
• Reflection assignment, individual assignment on ethics, power and legislation related to the student’s own experience from clinical training. Scope of 1,000 words (+/- 10%)

Assessment of clinical training

The assessment is based on criteria set on the basis of the learning outcomes for the course, continuous assessment, and compulsory activities carried out by the students through the period of clinical training. Students’ clinical training can only be assessed if their attendance is sufficiently high (90%). For more information, see the general part of the programme description about assessment of clinical training.

Not relevant.

Pass- fail.

The contact lecturer approves the period of clinical training after recommendation from the clinical training supervisor. The final decision on whether to award a pass or fail grade is made by the university.

SKOMPPRA20, SKOMPDPRA20, SYKKPRA50 and SYKPPRA50 overlap 100%.