SYKKPRA50B Nursing Persons with Mental Health Problems 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 opportunities, but also their vulnerabilities as individuals, are areas of focus. The significance of close relationships and society's influence are important for mental health and are emphasised in the course. This includes patient phenomena such as hope and hopelessness, pain and pain relief, exhaustion and energy.

Climate change and the environment are closing in on society in both space and time, becoming a relevant dimension of ever more areas of life. Significant transformations need to take place over the next decade and here journalism will have a key role to play. This course will help students pursue both the theoretical and practical development of climate journalism, including the understanding of its own role in society, in a time of declared and perceived crisis.

Language of instruction is English.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can present mental health work in a historical perspective
• can reflect on factors that inhibit and promote mental health at individual and group level
• can s discuss how psychosis, personality disorders, anxiety, mood disorder and drug addiction can influence the patients’ fundamental needs and self-understanding and what consequences this has for person-centred nursing
• can explain the psychological and psychosocial challenges faced by immigrants, refugees, Sami and other minority groups, as well as explain how stigma, alienation, discrimination and racism can affect mental and psychosocial health
• can describe strategies for mastery and concepts such as improvement processes, user participation, recovery, and empowerment
• can explain how framework factors such as current legislation and compulsory regulations can be of significance to the practice of nursing in mental health work
• can discuss the special needs of children and young people related to trauma, neglect, violence, abuse and drug and socio-economic problems

Skills

The student

• can apply key milieu therapeutic principles related to patients with mental disorders and can establish, maintain, and terminate relationships
• can apply knowledge about the main groups of psychotropic drugs and integrate knowledge from disease theory in assessing the effects and side effects of drugs
• can apply communication and interaction skills when encountering people with mental health issues and their next-of-kin in interdisciplinary collaboration
• can make a comprehensive survey of symptoms, risks and life history of people with various mental and drug-related disorders and conditions and use current documentation tools in the practice of nursing
• is capable of continuously assessing situations that entail a risk for patients and/or staff and preventing unwanted incidents

General competence

The student

• can reflect on his/her own professional practice and power structures when encountering people with mental health issues and drug addictions and and receive guidance and feedback
• can reflect on existing procedures and methods in the field of practice, and taking the initiative to engage in dialogue about the implementation of new knowledge and new work methods in person-centred nursing and in interdisciplinary collaboration

Practical training consists of both practical training, activities along the way and supervised practical training that takes place during the practical training period. The practical training period (7 weeks) take part in municipal health service/specialist health service, mental health and is supervised by a practical training supervisor and contact teacher. Other practical training and activities (1 weeks) can be, simulation, digital learning resources, lectures and seminars.

The flipped classroom is used as a teaching method for part of the course. Digital learning resources will be made available in advance.

The course will be based on two to three gatherings of 2-5 days at Oslo Metropolitan University, including lectures, exercises and group work. One of the gatherings, or part of one gathering, may also entail field work/excursions.

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

• Coursework 1: Present a text from the reading list in a plenary session of the course where the curricula will be discussed. 5-10 PowerPoint slides.
• Coursework 2: Hand in a term paper draft once during the gatherings. The length of this term paper is 5-10 pages.

The purpose of these work requirements is to ensure progress in both the readings of the curricula and the work with the term paper. All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version one time by the given deadline. If the student does not meet the set deadline(s), the student loses the possibility to hand in the paper/hold the presentation, and thereby loses to right to sit for the exam. In case of illness or other valid reasons for absence, the teacher can set an individual deadline for the course requirements.

There are no mandatory activities in the course, with the exception of the above mentioned work requirements.

For the main assessment, the students may choose one of two individual term papers.

Either

• A reportage relevant to climate change, followed by a reflection paper that discusses and analyzes the textual material theoretically helped by the syllabus. Length: 12 - 15 pages. Font and font size: Arial or Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

Or

• An analytic, theory-based paper investigating a limited media output where global climate change is covered in a particular way. Length: 12-15 pages. Font and font size: Arial or Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

The term papers may be written in Norwegian or English.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F

All term papers will be assessed by an evaluation committee consisting of both an internal and an external examiner.