Heartland Community College
Master Syllabus
Division for Health & Human Services
COURSE PREFIX AND NUMBER: NURS 240
COURSE TITLE: Mental Health Nursing
DATE PREPARED: July 1, 1997
DATE REVISED: January, 2006
PCS/CIP/ID NO: 12-51.1601
IAI NO. Not Applicable
EFFECTIVE DATE OF FIRST CLASS: August 17, 1998
CREDIT HOURS: 4
CONTACT HOURS: 6
LECTURE HOURS: 2
LABORATORY: 4
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include prerequisites):
Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 122, NURS 135, BIOL 182, ENGL 101 and PSY
101; concurrent enrollment or successful completion of NURS 232, BIOL 191 and ENGL 102.
The focus of this course is provision of nursing care to children and adults with alterations in
mental health. Orem's self care model will be used to apply critical thinking pathways to the
individual with acute and chronic mental health problems. Case studies and audiovisuals will be
used in the campus laboratory to enhance student learning. Planned faculty-supervised clinical
experiences in a variety of community settings in addition to observational experiences will
provide students with the opportunity to implement their accrued knowledge and skills with
individuals of varying problems and age groups.
TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS:
REQUIRED:
Carpenito, L. J. (2010). Handbook of nursing diagnosis (13th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Deglin, J. & Vallerand, A. (2009). Davis’s drug guide for nurses (11th ed.). Philadelphia: Davis.
Dudek, S. G. (2010). Nutrition essentials for nursing practice (6th ed.). Philadelphia:
Lippincott.
Fishbach, F. (2009). A manual of laboratory & diagnostic tests (8th ed.). Philadelphia.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Hockenberry, M. & Wilson, D., (2008). Wong’s essentials of pediatric nursing (8th ed.). St.
Louis: Mosby.
Lilley,L., Harrington, S., & Snyder, J. (2011). Pharmacology and the nursing process. (6th
ed.). Troy: Saunders Elsevier.
Lewis, S., Heitkemper, M., & Dirksen, S. (2007). Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and
management of clinical problems. (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
Morris, D. (2010). Calculate with confidence.(5th ed.) St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier
Perry, P., & Potter, A. (2010). Clinical nursing skills & techniques (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (2009) (6th ed). American
Psychological Association. Washington, DC.
Varcarolis, E. M. (2010). Foundations of psychiatric mental health nursing (6th ed.). St
Louis: Saunders/Elsevier.
RECOMMENDED:
Mosby’s dictionary of medicine, nursing, and health professions (8th ed.). (2008). St. Louis:
Mosby Elsevier.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND TRANSFER:
NURS 240 fulfills 4 semester hours of credit in the associate degree program. This course was
designed to meet the specific needs of an Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate
program and not necessarily as a transfer course, particularly in relation to the Illinois
Articulation Initiative. This course may transfer to various institutions in a variety of
ways. Please see an academic advisor for an explanation concerning transfer options.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes):
Students who successfully complete NURS 240 should be able to:
Outcomes
1. Practice the principles of therapeutic
communication in provision of care to
individuals with behavior disorders.
2.
Utilize components of the nursing
process
according to Orem’s self-care model
with
emphasis on care to individuals
with
behavior disorders.
3. Utilize technical skills in delivery of holistic
care to individuals with behavior disorders.
GEO
CO5
PS3
PS3
4. Employ roles of the nurse within the
parameters of legal practice while using
current standards of mental health nursing.
PS3
5. Interpret the impact of cause and effect of
cultural variations in delivery of care to
individuals with behavior disorders.
D3
6. Employ teaching/learning concepts to
enhance the self-care ability of individuals
with behavior disorders.
7. Employ professional behavior in a variety of
clinical settings while caring for and
interacting with individuals with behavior
disorders.
CO3
CO3
8. Use critical thinking skills in exploring
complicated situations involving individuals
with behavior disorders.
CT3
9. Use self to maximize learning while
delivering care to individuals with behavior
disorders.
CO4
Range of Assessment methods
Process recordings
Clinical evaluation
Group case study
Examination
Clinical practice
Clinical self assessment
Clinical evaluation
Examination
Group case study
Examination
1 on 1 with patients
Clinical application
Clinical evaluation
Group case study
Examination
Self-reflective journal
Examination
Self-reflective journal
Clinical evaluation
Clinical evaluation
Examination
Group case study
Clinical self assessment
Clinical evaluation
Examination
Group case study
Homework assignments
Class discussions
Clinical practice
Clinical evaluation
Examination
Homework assignments
Process recordings
Clinical practice
Clinical evaluations
Self-reflective journal
Process recordings
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
Unit I
Unit II
Foundations of Mental Health Nursing
Selected Theories Underlying Mental Health Nursing Practice
Unit III
Developmental Continuum in Mental Health Nursing
Unit IV
Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health Nursing
Unit V
Nursing Management of Clients with Disordered Behaviors
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Students must achieve a "C" grade or better for satisfactory completion of a nursing course taken
at Heartland Community College. The grading system will be as follows:
A=90-100%
B=81-89%
C=75-80%
D=70-74%
F=Below 70%
Theory consists of:
Exam 1 – 20%
Exam 2 – 20%
Exam 3 – 20%
Homework – 10%
Paper & Group Project 10%
Comprehensive Exam – 20%
Students must satisfactorily perform clinical skills in order to pass the course. Clinical grades
will consist of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). Students MUST pass both the theory and
lab/clinical portion of the course. If a student passes the theory portion with a 75% or better but
performance is unsatisfactory in the lab/clinical area, the student will receive an “F” for the
course. If the student's performance in the clinical area is satisfactory but theory average is less
than 75%, the student will receive a "D" or an "F" for the course.
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
Self-reflective journal of the clinical experience.
Two (2) process recordings with assigned clients.
One (1) concept map of nursing care plan as assigned.
Group paper and presentation.
All papers must be legible. If writing, the student needs to write in black ink. Typing papers is
the preferred method. The papers must be doubled spaced and adhere to APA format. All
citations must appear in the reference list. Cite references accurately, completely. All references
should be pertinent to the topic.
Textbook assignments and handouts are to be read before class.