93227 Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
In this subject, students learn about the care needs of people who are experiencing, or have experienced, mental health challenges. As this is a foundational mental health clinical subject, students are introduced to various concepts related to the lived experience of mental health challenges. Students begin to develop knowledge, attitudes and skills required for mental health nursing, therapeutic communication and reflective practice. The content of this subject is updated regularly, and evidence based sources are used in the formation of tutorial content. Relevant to the Australian context, statistical information is primarily sought from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The development of critical thinking and respect for evidence are of primary focus in this subject.
Students are introduced to contemporary concepts in mental healthcare, as well as its history and philosophy. The subject considers the major mental health challenges that impact Australians, including diagnostic groups such as anxiety, mood disorder and psychosis, as well as self-harm, suicide and substance use.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Develop an understanding of the way that social, environmental and genetic factors influence an individual’s mental health (RN Standards for Practice 1, 1.1, 1.2,1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) |
|---|---|
| B. | Understand the importance and implementation of nursing skills for the development of therapeutic relationships with consumers and carers (RN Standards for Practice 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8) |
| C. | Utilisation and administration of assessment tools and documentation in mental health care (RN Standards for Practice 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4; RN Standards for Practice 5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5) |
| D. | Demonstrate competencies in contemporary mental health nursing practice through participation in the delivery of care (RN Standards for Practice 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8; RN Standards for Practice 6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.6) |
| E. | Develop an understanding of the mental health issues that affect specific populations in the Australian context (RN Standards for Practice 1, 1.1; RN Standards for Practice 3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5) |
| F. | Exercise critical faculties for navigating ethical complexity in theory and practice (RN Standards for Practice 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3) |
| G. | Approach nursing practice with a sound knowledge of historical and contemporary developments in mental health philosophy and scholarship (RN Standards for Practice 3, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- The ability to plan and provide care that is respectful of each individuals’ needs, values and life experiences (1.0)
- Demonstrates an ability to provide holistic and compassionate care that takes into account people's lived experience, views and feelings. (1.1)
- Works in partnership with patients including them in decisions related to their care. (1.2)
- Advocates for people, if required, to ensure that their cultural values and needs are respected. (1.3)
- The embodiment of a professional disposition committed to ethical, equitable and legal nursing practice (2.0)
- Demonstrates a commitment to social justice, valuing diversity and seeking to address disadvantage and inequity in healthcare. (2.2)
- Demonstrates leadership and the moral courage needed to improve patient outcomes, staff well-being and organisational cultures. (2.3)
- The ability to communicate and collaborate safely, compassionately and respectfully. (3.0)
- Accesses, appraises and critiques multiple sources of evidence and transfers knowledge to practice. (4.2)
- The intellectual capacity to use theoretical knowledge to address complex and non-routine clinical issues (6.0)
- Critically reflects on and learns from previous experiences to improve future practice. (6.3)
- The knowledge and skills required for safe and effective patient care (7.0)
- Demonstrates technical and non-technical skills in the provision of safe effective, legal and ethical nursing care. (7.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
Person-centred care
Evidence based practice
Critical thinking
Professional competence
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, you will participate in a range of teaching and learning strategies.
Lectures and online learning materials
This subject benefits from both the real time delivery of content and access to online resources including podcasts, videos and learning modules. Students are provided with the resources to complete as preparatory work to enable engagement during face-to-face tutorials. Lectures will enable students to clarify complex descriptions and terminology, and engage with nursing leaders who are experts in their field.
Workshops/Tutorials
Students will be supported and guided by a tutor and also work in pairs and small groups to unpack the tutorial content using patient stories and clinical scenarios. In class content is structured to contribute to the required assessment tasks.
Students will be provided feedback from their tutor and peers with the opportunity to collaborate and develop interpersonal, communication and reflective skills.
Clinical Placement
In this subject students complete 80 hours of clinical placement. Placements are provided in a range of healthcare facilities in mostly metropolitan locations. Students provide nursing care within their scope of practice alongside multidisciplinary teams to develop and consolidate their knowledge, skills and attributes relevant to the clinical field.
All clinical placements are managed under the UTS Internships Management Policy and students must comply and act in accordance with the Student Rules, the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy and the Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy.
Content (topics)
- Various contexts of care, such as the inpatient and outpatient setting;
- Attitudes and beliefs about mental health and illness, and the effects of stigma for people with mental health challenges and their families;
- Socio-cultural and psycho-social aspects of mental health problems;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' mental health and wellbeing;
- Aetiology of mental health problems;
- Mental health medications;
- Interpersonal skills;
- Therapeutic use of self and the therapeutic relationship;
- Collaborative relationships with consumers and families in the recovery process;
- Mental Health Act and legislation and its impact on the delivery of mental health care;
- Clinical communication and documentation;
- Confidentiality, beneficence, non-maleficence, dignity and respect in mental healthcare
- Nurses' role as advocates and allies
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Critique of media report
| Intent: | This assessment aims to develop students’ capacity to apply the principles of recovery-oriented practice to critically analyse the language and concepts presented in a popular media report. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, E and F This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.3, 2.2, 4.2 and 6.0 |
| Type: | Essay |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1800 words |
| Criteria: | Please see further assessment details in Canvas. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), for example ChatGPT, is not permitted in this assessment. Students who are identified as using AI , for example ChatGPT, in this assessment may be referred for academic misconduct. |
Assessment task 2: Collaborative team assessment (Part A)
| Intent: | The task enables students to work closely as a team to reflect on and collaboratively answer questions related to a video. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B and F This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 3.0 and 6.3 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 2 hours |
Assessment task 3: Reflection on Learning (individual) (Part B)
| Intent: | The individual part of this task (Part B) enables students to reflect on, and articulate their understanding of the concept of mental health and illness, the video, and the collaborative team process. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B and F This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.1, 2.3, 3.0, 4.2 and 6.3 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | Maximum 3-minute individual video recorded presentation |
| Criteria: | Please see further assessment details in Canvas. |
Assessment task 4: Clinical practice assessment (clinical placement)
| Intent: | Students will undertake clinical placement to develop and consolidate their knowledge, skills and attributes in the mental health setting. Working with consumers, their families and the multidisciplinary team will reinforce their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C, D and F This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0, 7.0 and 7.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Length: | 80 hours |
Recommended texts
Evans, Katie, et al. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Elsevier, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central.
There is no required text for FMHN, however, this contemporary Australian textbook is highly recommended. You will find explanations of the key concepts and terms used in this subject, and the chapters are presented in an informative and engaging way.
The textbook is available online through the UTS Library link below.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uts/detail.action?docID=5568379 (Links to an external site.)
If you have trouble accessing via the link, please search the Library database:
References
Details of references used in this subject will be provided on Canvas.
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
Details for student centres: www.uts.edu.au/current-students/contacts/general-contacts
For other resources/ information refer to the Faculty of Health website (www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-health) and Canvas at: https://canvas.uts.edu.au/.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: (02) 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.
HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733.
Please see www.uts.edu.au for additional information on other resources provided to students by UTS.
The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service
?The Accessibility Service can support students with disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If you’re unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or Accessibility@uts.edu.au.
The Financial Assistance Service can assist you with financial aspects of life at university, including Centrelink information, tax returns and budgeting, interest-free student loans and grants to assist with course-related costs. Check eligibility and apply online and make an appointment on +61 2 9514 1177 or Financial.assistance@uts.edu.au.