ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE NURSING PROGRAM
COURSE SYLLABUS
NURS 159: NURSING CARE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS
3 CREDITS (2 theory (30 hours) credits and 1 Clinical (45 hours) credit)
Spring 2014
GENERAL INFORMATION
A. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
1. Theory and Clinical Instructor:
Tami Mette, MSN, RN
Amber Donnelli, PhD, RN, CNE
753-2004 (Office)
934-7432 (Cell)
tamara.gailey@gbcnv.edu
753-2007 (Office)
934-1345 (Cell)
amber.donnelli@gbcnv.edu
2. Office and Hours:
Tami – Health Sciences Room 118
Monday thru Friday: 1:30-2:30
(Also by appointment)
Amber - Health Sciences Room 119
Monday: 0900-1200 and Thursday: 0900-1200
(Also by appointment)
B. COURSE INFORMATION:
Catalog Description: Provides for the acquisition and application of mental health
nursing theory for safe, evidence-based, patient-centered, holistic nursing care
for diverse patients experiencing common acute and chronic mental health
disorders and treatment modalities. Includes the application of the concepts of
caring, clinical reasoning, quality improvement, communication, and teamwork,
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considering legal and ethical responsibilities of the nurse when working with
patients with mental health disorders.
Two credits theory, one credit clinical. Offered spring semester only.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Nursing Program.
1. Schedule:
Theory:
Classroom: Tuesday 0930 – 1145
Clinical: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, as assigned
and as indicated on Clinical Schedule
COURSE OUTCOMES:
COURSE OUTCOMES
MEASUREMENTS
1. Apply mental health nursing concepts
to provide safe, quality, evidence-based,
patient-centered nursing care in a variety
of healthcare environments to diverse
patients experiencing common acute and
chronic mental health disorders.
2. Demonstrate clinical reasoning to
make patient-centered care decisions for
diverse patients experiencing common
acute and chronic mental health
disorders.
Cultural Assessment
Cinema Project
BHU Written Assignment
ATI Review Modules
ATI Real Life Modules
Quizzes
NP Clinical Experience
ATI Real Life Modules
Article Summary on Errors
In Class Priority Patient Situations
Quizzes
3. Participate in quality improvement
processes to improve patient care.
Group Project Resource Identification
Quizzes
4. Begin to engage in teamwork with
members of the interprofessional team,
the patient, and the patient’s support
persons when managing patient care.
Vitality Center Clinical Process Recording
Cinema Project
Role Play Legal and Ethical in Class
Quizzes
In Class Gaming
Cinema Project
ANA in class assignment
Quizzes
5. Begin to apply management, legal,
ethical, and professional guidelines in the
care of diverse patients experiencing
common acute and chronic mental health
disorders.
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6. Use information management
principles, techniques, and systems, and
patient care technology in the care of
diverse patients experiencing common
acute and chronic mental health
disorders.
ATI Skills Modules
ATI Real Life Modules
BHU Clinical Assignment
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:
Lecture, discussion, in-class activities, a process recording, a student selfassessment, small group work, videos, selected reference and text readings,
written assignments, computer assisted learning programs, and communitybased clinical experiences will be utilized.
THEORY EVALUATION:
Evaluation of student progress will be the successful completion of the course
outcomes this will be evaluated with module examinations. Five (5) examinations
and a comprehensive final will be given. Questions will be based on utilization of
critical thinking skills and application of knowledge acquired in this, as well as
previous courses. Questions may be multiple- choice, fill in the blank, choose all
correct answers, or other alternate formats as applicable. The cinema project
counts as 100 points toward the theory portion of the student’s grade and will be
completed as a group project with up to 3-4 students per group. Team-based
Learning quizzes will count for 5% of the total course grade
An ATI exam will be given at the end of the course to evaluate student progress
and performance. The ATI exam will also serve as an evaluation tool to address
any areas of content gaps in course content and correlate with areas of content
that were well supported in the course. This exam will account for 10% of the
total course grade.
CLINICAL EVALUATION:
Clinical evaluation is done mutually by student and instructor throughout the
semester and in a summative evaluation at the end of the clinical
rotation. Online discussion following each clinical experience will be used to help
determine your clinical standing (see rubric). Actual clinical performance will be
used to determine clinical competency and the ability to generalize and transfer
theory outcomes to the clinical settings. Safe clinical practice and
demonstration of personal and associate degree nursing practice attributes
at the third semester level are mandatory for progression in the program.
ATI Modules:
You will review ATI Learning System RN – Communication & Mental Health.
Learning System RN provides students with practice in content-specific areas,
which allows students to focus on their strengths as well as identify areas of
need. You will take both practice tests and complete 30 minutes of focused
review for each practice test and the final with one hour of focused review, see
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the dates listed on the schedule for due dates. Turn in your transcripts BEFORE
class on the scheduled dates listed below.
Learning System RN Communication Test is available under tutorials → learning
system → practice tests → access tests → communication
RN Learning System RN Mental Health Practice Tests 1 & 2 are available under
tutorials → learning system RN → practice tests → access tests→ mental health
1 & 2.
Learning System Mental Health Final is under tutorials → learning system RN →
finals → access tests →Mental Health Final.
These tests can be taken anywhere you have access to ATI, they are NOT
proctored exams. The ATI content mastery series Fundamentals & Mental
Health Nursing modules to review before taking the tests are listed below:
Learning System RN Communication:
Therapeutic Techniques (from Fundamentals Modules)
Learning System RN Mental Health Practice Test 1:
Foundations of Mental Health Nursing
Special Populations
Psychiatric Emergencies
Traditional Nonpharmacologic Therapies
Learning System RN Mental Health Practice Test 2:
Psychobiologic Disorders
Psychopharmacologic Therapies
Learning System RN Mental Health Final – all the previously listed content.
Please note, these are NOT the CMS Mental Health Proctored or Practice Exams.
The CMS Mental Health Proctored and Practice Exams will be taken as your final;
the schedule for this will follow later.
ATI Real Life Clinical Reasoning Scenarios:
Clinical Reasoning Scenarios provide students with the opportunity to practice
clinical reasoning skills. Students experience lifelike clinical situations through the
use of video and other forms of rich media.
Clinical decision points are integrated with video segments, requiring students to
identify the response the nurse should make. Student choices direct the path of
the experience so that each student experiences the consequences of their
decisions.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Townsend, M.C., (2012). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing- Concepts of
Care in Evidence-Based Practice. (7th Ed.). Philadelphia, PA: FA Davis.
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
FA Davis Plus for students (this is part of the resources you received with
your book)
**Please plan to use the Drug book, and Lab & Diagnostic book, and Nursing
Diagnosis Book of your choice. You also may find it helpful to use your
Fundamentals, Med/Surg, and Pharmacology books as references.
REQUIRED VIDEOS:

Opps Wrong Planet! Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome (55 minutes).

Should I Live, Should I Die? Understanding Borderline Personality
Disorders (43 minutes).

The Addictive Personality (25 minutes).

How Mad Are You? A Search for Insanity. Hidden in Plain Sight: Looking
for Mental Illness (50 minutes).

How Mad Are You? A Search for Insanity. Clinical Impressions: Identifying
Mental Illness (51 minutes).
All required videos are streamlined into WebCampus and are listed under
assignments for Required Videos. Write up a 1-2 paragraph statement with a
description of what you learned from the video and how this can assist you in
your future care of patients with mental illness.
GRADING POLICY AND CRITERIA:
Course grade will be based on a percentage of the total possible points of theory
and clinical assignments according to the following scale:
100 - 94.00
93.99-90.00
89.99-87.00
86.99-84.00
83.99-80.00
79.99-77.00
=
=
=
=
=
=
A
AB+
B
BC+
76.00 =C (needed to pass)
75.99-70.00 = C69.99-67.00 = D+
66.99-64.00 = D
63.99-60.00 = DBelow 60.00 = F
Course work must be completed with an average of 76% or better to pass the
course in both the theory and clinical grades. Clinical grades will be averaged
into your final grade and count for 30% of your overall course grade.
Late theory and clinical assignments will be worth 50% of the actual grade.
If an assignment is more than one week late, a zero will be given for the
assignment but submission of the assignment is still required.
If you do not complete the course and do not formally withdraw by the drop
deadline, your instructor will automatically assign you a grade of "F".
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For full semester courses in the spring, the drop deadline is Monday, March 24,
2014
ASSESSMENT
Theory
TOTAL GRADE
60% of course grade
Module 1 Exam
100 points
Module 2 Exam
Module 3 Exam
Module 4 Exam
Module 5 Exam
Cinema Presentation
Comprehensive final Exam
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
10% of course grade
ATI Testing Final Exam and Remediation
Team Based Learning Quizzes
100 points
????
5% of course grade
Total Theory Points
700+ points
Clinical
25% of course grade
Vitality Center Process Recording
Elko Mental Health
NNRH Behavioral Health Center
Post Clinical Discussion’s
3 total Primary DQ worth 10 points each
Mental Health Video Assignment
5 total worth 5 points a piece
ATI Real Life Clinical Reasoning Scenarios
4 scenarios, 25 points each
Total Clinical Points
Total Points
100 points
15 points
15 points
30 points
25 points
100 points
285points
985+ points
Students must receive an average of 76% in theory and clinical learning
activities, and pass all pass/fail graded assignments and activities
ATI FINAL EXAM INFORMATION:
RN Mental Health
This 65-item test offers an assessment of the student’s basic comprehension and
mastery of mental health nursing principles. Assessed concepts include: 1) basic
concepts in mental health nursing (assessment, legal/ethical principles,
therapeutic communication, therapeutic nurse-client relationship, anxiety and
defense mechanisms, mental health nursing in diverse populations); 2) nonpharmacologic therapy of mental health disorders; 3) pharmacologic therapy of
mental health disorders; and 4) nursing care of clients with various mental health
disorders. The student 65 minutes to complete this assessment.
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DOSAGE CALCULATION TEST:
Dosage Calculation: RN Mental Health
See NURS 158 Syllabus
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to attend all classroom, lab, and clinical hours.
(See Student Handbook)
STUDENT CONDUCT:
Great Basin College considers academic honesty one of its highest values. A
student who obtains academic credit for work that is not the product of his or her
own effort is being dishonest and undermining the academic integrity of the
college. Students are expected to be the sole authors of their work. Use of
another’s ideas must be accompanied by specific citation and reference. In
addition, a learner may not submit the same work for credit in more than one
course. The disciplinary consequences of plagiarism and other forms of
academic dishonest include non-acceptance of work submitted, a failing grade in
the course, and/or or other disciplinary action as outlined in Great Basin
College’s Student Conduct Policy.
ADA STATEMENT:
Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to
qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and
regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current
verification of disability. The Director of Services for Students with Disabilities
(Julie G. Byrnes) will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the
appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids and services. For
more information or further assistance, please call 775.753.2271.
COURSE SCHEDULE
All attempts will be made to maintain the posted theory and clinical schedule.
However, please note that in the event of an unforeseen emergency or
circumstances beyond our control, faculty may schedule class and/or clinical times
on other days as a means to ensure every opportunity for students to successfully
complete the course. The faculty also may make changes to the syllabus at any
time throughout the semester. All attempts will be made to inform the students of
any changes in a timely manner when possible.
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WEEK
Tuesday, January 21st
Tami
SUBJECT
Course Orientation
ASSIGMENTS
Module One
Introduction to mental
health concepts
Townsend:
 Chapter 2 Mental
Health/Mental Illness
 Chapter 4 Concepts of
psychobiology
Tuesday, January 28th
Amber(1)
Introduction to mental
health concepts
Module One Continued
Video
Townsend:
 Chapter 5 Ethical and
Legal Issues
 Chapter 6 Cultural and
Spiritual concepts
Tuesday, February 4th
Tami
How Mad Are You? A
Search for Insanity. Hidden
in Plain Sight: Looking for
Mental Illness (50 minutes).
Module One Exam
Room TBA
Tuesday, February 11th
Tami
Tuesday, February 18th
Tami
Mental Health Therapeutic
Approaches
Module Two
Townsend:
 Chapter 12 Milieu
Therapy
 Chapter 10
Therapeutic Groups
Video
How Mad Are You? A
Search for Insanity. Clinical
Impressions: Identifying
Mental Illness (51 minutes).
Mental Health Therapeutic
Approaches
Townsend:
 Chapter 11 Family
Interventions
 Chapter 13 Crisis
Intervention
Tuesday, February 25th
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Meet at Vitality Center 8:30 for
orientation Wear your
community uniform and
appropriate shoes. Parking
is limited so if you can car
pool from the college that
would be great.
Module Two
ATI Learning System RN
Communication practice
test & 30 minutes focused
review. Turn in your
transcripts before class.
Module Two Exam
Tami
Tuesday, March 4th
Amber(2)
Room TBA
Nursing Care in Mental
Health
Cinema Project Group 2
Townsend:
 Chapter – 26
Schizophrenia
 Chapter 27- Mood
disorders / Depression
Tuesday, March 11th
Amber(3)
Module Three
Cinema Project Group 3
ATI Learning System RN
Mental Health 1 practice
test & 30 minutes of
focused review. Turn in
your transcripts before
class.
Nursing Care in Mental
Health
Module Three
Townsend:
Cinema Project Group 1

Chapter 29- Anxiety
Disorders

Chapter 17 – Anger
Management

Chapter 25
Substance- Related
Disorders
Cinema Project Group 7
Videos
Should I Live, Should I Die?
Understanding Borderline
Personality Disorders (43
minutes).
The Addictive Personality
(25 minutes).
Tuesday, March 18th
Tami
Module Three Exam
Room TBA
March 24 - 29
Tuesday, April 1st
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SPRING BREAK!
Nursing Care in Mental
HAVE FUN AND RELAX!!!
Module Four
Tami
Health
Townsend:
Cinema Project Group 5


Tuesday, April 8th
Amber (4)
Chapter 24 – Delirium,
Dementia, and
Amnestic Disorders
Chapter 30
Somatoform and
Dissociative Disorders
Nursing of Special
Populations
Townsend:
 Chapter 23 Children
and Adolescents
 Chapter 36 Victims of
Abuse and Neglect.
Tuesday, April 15th
Tami
After test meet back in the
class room from 11-12 for
Guest Speaker Jan Baiser.
ATI Learning System RN
Mental Health 2 Practice
test & 30 minutes of
focused review. Turn in
your transcripts before
class.
Module Four
Video
Oops Wrong Planet!
Understanding Asperger’s
Syndrome (55 minutes).
Module Four Exam
Room TBA
***Please be sure to have
read Chapter 18 of
Townsend before class.
Tuesday, April 22nd
Tami
Nursing Care in Mental
Health
Module Five
Townsend:
Cinema Project Group 6


Tuesday, April 29th
Tami
Tuesday, May 6th
Tami
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Chapter 28 – Bipolar
Disorders
Chapter 34
Personality Disorders
Nursing Care in Mental
Health
Townsend:
 Chapter 32 Eating
Disorders
 Chapter 39 Bereaved
Individual
This test will contain questions
from Chapter 28, 34, 32, 39. In
Cinema Project Group 4
ATI Learning System RN
Mental Health Final & 1
hour focused review. Turn
in your transcripts before
class.
Module Five
Module Five Exam
addition, it will have some
overview questions from
previous modules.
May 12-16
Finals Week
FIRST
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Room TBA
ATI Proctored Final Exam:
Time TBA
YEAR
DONE!