NURS 220: Mental Hlth Nursing With Pract

This course introduces students to the knowledge and skills for planning and implementing basic nursing care for persons (individuals, families and communities) experiencing psychiatric-mental health problems and for those with the potential for enhancement of their mental health. The students will focus on the nursing care of the patient who presents with self care deficits related to psychological and emotional issues. Students are exposed to a variety of disorders and behavioral responses of individuals along the health-illness continuum. Students will establish therapeutic nurse-client relationships, and learn to apply the nursing process to individuals exhibiting a range of behaviors in these settings. The students will also focus on the latest research in neurobiology, physiology, and psychopharmacotherapeutics as they pertain to psychiatric-mental health nursing. Emphasis is on shifts toward care of clients in the community setting and with their families. Examples of evidence-based practice will be utilized throughout the rotation.