Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The National Commission for Academic Accreditation &
Assessment
COURSE SPECIFICATION
NURSING SCIENCE
Revised March 2007
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Course Specification
For Guidance on the completion of this template, please refer to
of Handbook 2
Internal Quality Assurance Arrangements
Institution Alfw
College/Department College of nursing science
A Course Identification and General Information
Course title and code: Nursing (0301356)
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
2. Credit hours : 6 Credits
3. Program(s) in which the course is offered.
(If general elective available in many programs indicate this rather than list programs)
BSN
4. Name of faculty member responsible for the course
Mrs. H
5. Level/year at which this course is offered
Third Year
6. Pre-requisites for this course (if any)
Communication (NURS 428), Psychosocial
7. Co-requisites for this course (if any)
NON
8. Location if not on main campus
Main campus
(321)
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B Objectives
1. Summary of the main learning outcomes for students enrolled in the course.
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Discuss the major theories interpreting mental illness.
Discuss the intellectual, behavioral and emotional reactions of patient, family and
nurses reaction to mental illness.
Describe the various types of neurotic, psychotic, personality, organic disorders and
psychopathological process of each disorder.
Relate various concepts to the process of human illness.
Assess the intellectual, emotional and behavioral reaction manifested by an adult
client exhibiting various conditions.
Discuss the various therapeutic modalities utilized in the management of patients
with various psychiatric conditions.
Appraise the aspects of nursing process in implementing secondary and tertiary
interventions for patient with various psychiatric conditions.
Display positive attitude towards the mentally ill individual
Integrate theoretical knowledge related to mental health into clinical practice.
Utilize the nursing process in providing humanistic nursing care for different
clients showing dysfunctional coping patterns at un in patient psychiatric unite.
Demonstrate ability to use self therapeutically on working with colleagues, clients,
and teacher.
Develop a therapeutic nurse client relation ship with client who are suffering from
mental illness.
2. Briefly describe any plans for developing and improving the course that are being implemented. (eg
increased use of IT or web based reference material, changes in content as a result of new research in
the field)
C. Course Description (Note: General description in the form to be used for the Bulletin or
Handbook should be attached)
The course is required for all undergraduate 3rd. year nursing students. The course
introduces the student to mental illness and theoretical concepts behind it. Students
involved in this course are expected to, integrate knowledge base from the mental
health nursing theory courses; Utilize the nursing process within the therapeutic
nurse client relation ship with the emphasis on the humanistic holistic approach and
develop an open communication with health care providers’ team to facilitate the
client healing process in a structured environment. The focus of the training is on
the therapeutic use of self this will be achieved by providing a supervised experience
in an inpatient psychiatric setting. Learning is enhanced through the direct
interaction with the clients and the actual participation in group activities that will
help the student nurse to under stand self and others.
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Material
Items
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Introduction to psychiatric nursing
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Concepts of mental health mental illness.
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Theoretical foundation for understanding mental
Grade
illness, Psycho analytic, Psychosocial, Interpersonal,
First
Humanistic, Behavioral and Biogenic theories
20%
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Symptomatology of mental illness.
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Principles of psychiatric care.
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Legal aspects of psychiatric care.
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Anxiety, defense mechanisms, stress and adaptation.
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Care of patient with anxiety disorders.
Second
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Care of patient with psychotic illness.
Exam
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Care of abused client
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Care of patient with personality disorders.
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Care of patient with substance abuse.
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Pervasive personality disorders and its nursing care.
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Cognitive disorders and its nursing care
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Therapeutic modalities utilized in the management 50%
Exam
Final
Exam
Student
Activities
20%
of psychiatric conditions disorders.
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All students activities submitted along the entire 10%
course
Total
100%
1. Self awareness(personality development) about concepts mental health, mental illness,
adduction, abused and other issues and its effect on interacting with clients.
a. Self concept (self esteem, personal and professional identity, roles)
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b. Attitudes
c. Beliefs
d. Value
2. Basic principles in working with psychiatric patient’s and legal aspects
3. Stress management
4. Caring and helping relation ship
a. Basic concept(communication skills)
b. Strategies of interviewing
c. Phases of relation ship
5. Nursing process(mental health status assessment)
6. Activities
a. Environment structure
b. Interdisciplinary team function
c. Therapies: Medication and ECT
d. Patient education
e. Recreational therapy, occupational and behavioural therapy
6. Care of client exhibiting social skill deficits
2 Course components (total contact hours per semester):
Lecture:
Tutorial:
Practical/Fieldwork/Inte
rnship: Clinical practise
45hrs
90hrs
4
Other:
3. Additional private study/learning hours expected for students per week. (This should be an average
:for the semester not a specific requirement in each week)
(Assignment , Exercises, Practise and Revision) average of 3 hrs
4. Development of Learning Outcomes in Domains of Learning
For each of the domains of learning shown below indicate:
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A brief summary of the knowledge or skill the course is intended to develop;
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A description of the teaching strategies to be used in the course to develop that knowledge or
skill;
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The methods of student assessment to be used in the course to evaluate learning outcomes in
the domain concerned.
a. Knowledge
(i) Description of the knowledge to be acquired
1.
Integrate theoretical knowledge related to mental health into clinical
practice.
2. Utilize the nursing process in providing humanistic nursing care for
different clients showing dysfunctional coping patterns at un in patient
psychiatric unite.
(ii) Teaching strategies to be used to develop that knowledge
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Lectures /small group discussion to present main themes and concepts of
theories and therapeutic modalities.
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Brain storming to illustrate the differences in core concepts related to theories
and therapeutic modalities.
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Reading assignment to integrate concepts of theories with actual practice in
nursing process (Writing nursing care plans)
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(iii) Methods of assessment of knowledge acquired
Paper & pencil exam (or PC. Based exam)
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1. Truth & False (to recognize main concept of mental disorder)
2. Matching (to acknowledge the psychotherapy of mental disorder clients)
3.
Short essay (to provide the meaning of different nursing interaction and nursing
diagnosis)
b. Cognitive Skills
(i) Cognitive skills to be developed
1. Demonstrate ability to use self therapeutically on working with colleagues,
clients, and teacher.
2. Develop a therapeutic nurse client relation ship with client who are suffering
from mental illness.
3. Demonstrate knowledgeable skill performance in carrying out specific nursing
procedures.
(ii)
Teaching strategies to be used to develop these cognitive skills
1- Role-plays to simulate different behaviours , general symptomatology , nurse –
patient (client) interaction as well as the appropriate intervention related to
behavioural /personality /mental disorders
2- Seminars to insure the appropriate application of different clinical concepts
3- Case study to develop rationales for psychological assessments, diagnosis, and
planning of care
4- Attending rounds to acquire multidisciplinary professional approach to care in
response to different multidimensional patients problems as well as applications
of group dynamics skills
5- Scenarios to critique and propose psychological nursing interventions and long
term goals, as well as means of evaluation of cara
(iii) Methods of assessment of students cognitive skills
1- MCQ (to assess and recognize the different nursing therapeutic interactions)
2- Scenarios or real-life simulation (to interpret/ apply psychodynamic of
behaviour disorders in the context of health care)
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c. Interpersonal Skills and Responsibility
(i)
Description of the interpersonal skills and capacity to carry responsibility to be developed
1. Develop awareness into one’s own attitude towards mental health and mental
illness and its effect on working with psychosocial issues of client.
2. Value one’s own mental health practices as a professional nurse.
3. Locate resources for early case finding of mental illness or psychosocial
problems
(ii) Teaching strategies to be used to develop these skills and abilities
1- Conviction mirror to reflect behaviour during role plays assisting in selfawareness
2- Video taping of actual students interactions in groups or one-to-one student
patient interaction ( or role plays) to teach dynamics of interaction
3- Direct interaction with clients(real-life simulation) to apply and critique
interpersonal skills
(iii) Methods of assessment of students interpersonal skills and capacity to carry responsibility
1- Oral semi structure interview (to demonstrate the ability of communications with clients mental
and behaviours disorder)
2-
Seminar (to present project outcome as a demonstration of ability to apply
interviewing and interpersonal therapeutic communication skills between nurses
and clients)
d. Communication, Information Technology and Numerical Skills
(i) Description of the skills to be developed in this domain.
Use of web based material related to mental disorder (EBSCO ) to apprise the
advanced mental health clinical nursing management
(ii) Teaching strategies to be used to develop these skills
Group tutorial to facilitate selection & utilization of appropriate web based mental care material
(iii) Methods of assessment of students numerical and communication skills
1- Assignments (to present recent different topic related to nursing interaction
management)
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e. Psychomotor Skills (if applicable)
(i) Description of the psychomotor skills to be developed and the level of performance required
1. Collaborate with clients, colleagues, clinical instructor and health care team to
ensure maximum quality of nursing care.
2. Facilitate and structure a therapeutic environment in a psychiatric unite.
3. apply nursing technique and procedure relevant to psychiatric patient
(ii)
Teaching strategies to be used to develop these skill
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Demonstration to acquire different nursing techniques & procedures
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A.V. aids( videos& posters) to help student to practice techniques & procedures
by imitation
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Video taping of actual student performance to help realize procedural defaults
and overcome them
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Real life Simulation(Attending and assisting in diagnostic/ treatment
procedures group activities) to help student reach level of automation of skills
for specific techniques & procedures
(iii) Methods of assessment of students psychomotor skills
1- Structured observational clinical checklist (to assess actual interaction and interviewing the
clients)
5. Schedule of Assessment Tasks for Students During the Semester
Assess
ment
Assessment task (eg. essay, test, group project, examination
etc.)
1
Quiz & reading
10%
2
Clinical practice performance
10%
3
Clinical performance checklist
10%
4
Written psychosocial assessment
10%
5
Nursing care plan
10%
6
Seminar
10%
7
Final exam
40%
8
Week due
Proportion
of Final
Assessment
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D. Student Support
1. Arrangements for availability of faculty for individual student consultations and academic advice.
(include amount of time faculty are available each week)
Consultations 2hrs , academic advice 2hrs
E Learning Resources
1. Required Text(s)
1. Fortmash K.M. and Holoday-worret, P.A. (1999): psychiatric nursing care
plans. (2nd ed) Mosby-year book,Inc, United states of America.
2. Essential References
3- Recommended Books and Reference Material (Journals, Reports, etc) (Attach List)
1. Videbeck Sheil L., (2001): Psychiatric Mental health nursing Library of
congress Cat aloging-in-Publication.
4-.Electronic Materials, Web Sites etc
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Medicare web Site
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EBSCO web Site
5- Other learning material such as computer-based programs/CD, professional standards/regulations
 professional standards/regulations of psychiatric nursing
F. Facilities Required
Indicate requirements for the course including size of classrooms and laboratories (ie number of seats in
classrooms and laboratories, extent of computer access etc.)
1. Accommodation (Lecture rooms, laboratories, etc.)
 Lecture rooms= 20 students
 Nursing lab to practice psychomotor procedures
 Clinical setting with training centre that implement Therapeutic milieu
institutional settings : inpatient, acute, chronic and emergency psychiatric care
community settings : outpatient clinics, occupational and recreational centres, day care hospitals
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2. Computing resources
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Internet
membership in web based mental health nursing
membership in evidence-based mental health nursing sites
3. Other resources (specify --eg. If specific laboratory equipment is required, list requirements or attach
list)
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Video recording apparatus and facility
Conviction mirror
Magmatic teaching board
PowerPoint/ transparency projector
Teaching lab dolls and equipments relevant to nursing procedure included in course
G Course Evaluation and Improvement Processes
1 Strategies for Obtaining Student Feedback on Effectiveness of Teaching
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Students/teacher focus group
Students personal written reflections
Students teaching appraisal questionnaire
Students clinical training appraisal questionnaire
2 Other Strategies for Evaluation of Teaching by the Instructor or by the Department
By Instructor:
 Analysis of students performance progress through factor analysis of written periodical exams
 Criteria analysis of students performance progress for clinical practice and interpersonal skills
By the Department
 Peer evaluation of the instructor
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Feedback to/from clinical preceptors
3 Processes for Improvement of Teaching
 Staff development of areas that are not satisfactory (specially tailored workshops to their needs,
mentorship and counselling, self learning and training packages)
 Continuous education for new areas that will enhance present performance
 Visitors of teaching experts in the field for modelling performance
 Clinical preceptor training
4. Processes for Verifying Standards of Student Achievement (eg. check marking by an independent
faculty member of a sample of student work, periodic exchange and remarking of a sample of
assignments with a faculty member in another institution)
 Department committee to revise sample of randomly selected exams
 Department revision of exam report (grade: maximum, min , average ,mode, median
 Periodic exchange and remarking of a sample of assignments with a faculty member in another
institution)
 Clinical examination of independent psychiatric nursing faculty member
 Co evaluation of students clinical performance including course teacher and clinical preceptor
4. Describe the planning arrangements for periodically reviewing course effectiveness and
planning for improvement.
Reviewing :
 Review and analyze Collective student performance in psychiatric nursing internship rotation
each semester
 Review and analyze Collective summary of student performance of all teaching section of the
course yearly
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Acquire feedback regarding planning for improvement of transferable skills and level of
retention of required knowledge from faculty teaching courses that demand this course as
prerequisite(ex: community care nursing course) each semester
 Benchmark student performance with other similar program teaching similar course
Planning for improvement:
 Update course syllabus to meet changing patient needs in the Saudi community
 Provide or enhance appropriate recourses needed to teach the course
 Provide course instructors with feedback of review results to propose improvement strategies
 Provide course instructors with needed training
 Provide clinical preceptors at the training institutes with review results to propose improvement
strategies
 Mutual planning of the course with clinical preceptors
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