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University of Massachusetts, Amherst

School of Nursing
Course Outline Summer 2014

I. Course Number and Title:
N327 Psychiatric-Mental Health Credits: 2

II. Rationale:
Psychiatric and mental health nursing employs theories of human behavior as its
science, and the purposeful use of self as its art. It is directed towards the treatment and prevention of mental health
disruption of individuals within their societal group, intervention for those experiencing the stress of mental illness,
and rehabilitation designed to assist the individual to return to the highest possible level of health.
III. Course Description:
This course provides the theoretical basis for community mental health nursing with
individuals, families and groups. Strategies for prevention, nursing interventions and
rehabilitation are emphasized.
IV. Course Objectives:
1. Articulate your own value system with that of the philosophy of psychiatric mental
health nursing
2. Critique the influences of society, culture, and community on the experience of
mental health and illness in individuals, families, and groups.
3. Identify legal and ethical issues in psychiatric mental health nursing.
4. Identify theoretical knowledge and research findings from nursing, the humanities, public health disciplines, and
sciences to promote the mental health of individuals, families, and groups.
5. Describe selected psychiatric mental health problems and their impact on patient
and family functioning.
6. Describe and analyze community resources, which provide health-relevant
information, skills development opportunity, and psychosocial support for clients and their families.
7. Identify a biopsychosocial model of nursing care, including nursing interventions to improve health outcomes
and quality of life for persons living with mental health
problems and their families.
8. Explain how the nurse-client relationship enhances the well-being of the client
living with mental health problems.
V. Prerequisites:
Successful completion of all Level I requirements of the nursing major.
VI. Time Allotment: 30 hours
VII. Teaching Personnel:
Professor Maud Low RNC, MSN, CLNC
Clinical Assistant Professor, Office Skinner 303; x 4244; cell (413) 320-2959; home (413) 253-9013; email:
lowmaud@aol.com

Teaching Assistant:
Carolyn Gustafson,
gustason@umass.edu

VIII. Teaching/Learning Methods:
Power Point lectures
Readings
Video viewing
Paper writing
Reflective Journals on Self-care

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IX. Methods o f Evaluation:

Assignment Percentage of final grade
Just One Thing Postings 23%
Integrating New Knowledge Paper 25%
Weekly Quizzes 25%
Kaplan testing for nursing 2%
Final exam 25%

X. Grading System:

Follows the School of Nursing policy. A grade of C (2.0) is required for passing.

Theory courses
A = 93-100 C = 73 - 76
A- = 90 - 92 C- = 70 - 72
B+ = 87 - 89 D+ = 67 - 69
B = 83 - 86 D = 63 - 66
B- = 80 - 82 F or IF = (< 62)
C+ = 77 - 79

XI. Academic Honesty
All students are expected to abide by the Academic Honesty policy of the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst as set forth in the most recent edition of Undergraduate Rights
and Responsibilities under the Student Code of Conduct. All assignments in the course are to be completed as
individuals, not as part of a group (unless designated as group projects per the instructor). The Academic Honesty
Policy will be strictly enforced. Of note, Academic Honesty supports the good moral character requirement to be
eligible for RN licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Please review specific guidelines posted under the Undergraduate Rights and
Responsibilities: http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct/acadhonesty/



Disability Accommodation Statement:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing an equal educational
opportunity for all students. If you have a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability on file with
Disability Services (DS), Learning Disabilities Support Services (LDSS), or Psychological Disabilities Services
(PDS), you may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have
a documented disability that requires an accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester
so that we may make appropriate arrangements.

Late submissions: If a student feels they have a legitimate reason for requesting an extension for an assignment, the
request must be received at least 72 hours in advance of the due date.

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XI. Assignments:


Assignment Percentage of final grade
Just One Thing Journals 23%
Integrating New Knowledge Paper 25%
Weekly Quizzes 25%
Kaplan testing for nursing 2%
Final exam 25%


Just One Thing (JOT) Journals

In mental health nursing, indeed in all aspects of nursing, the nurse is responsible for
maintenance of his/her own mental health. Many of you may have developed such skills through
experience and maturation. But every nurse (every person!) needs to continuously work on self-
care. This assignment is directed at this issue. By continuously working at our own self-care, we
can speak from experience as we work with others who are suffering with mental health
challenges and need to develop self-care measures.

The book, JOT, is organized as follows: an introduction, then 5 parts. Within each part the
author has written between 9 and 12 sub-parts or meditations. The introduction to the book
should be read with the lecture material for the first day of class. Thereafter, for the four weeks of
this course, every Monday, two of the five larger parts are assigned. Students will read these parts
and choose one sub-part or meditation from each part to mull over, think about, reflect upon,
and practice throughout the week. At the end of the week, the latest time being Sunday night at 6
PM, students will submit a journal of three to four paragraphs about the experience of applying
these meditations to his/her life. The meditations are intended to be brought to mind repeatedly
throughout the week, not just prior to writing the submission. Spelling, format,
and sentence structure is not important in these submissions; readability, thoughtfulness, and
reflection is important. The document should be added to each week, creating a JOT log. This
assignment is graded according to evidence of investment in the activity, self-reflectiveness, and
honesty. A grading rubric is available to students on the Blackboard Learn (BBL) site. Students
will receive detailed feedback each week before the next JOT submission is due, so that the
feedback can be integrated into the next submission(s).

Here is how it works:

Week One: JOT parts one and two are assigned. Student reads these two sections completely and
chooses two sub-parts or meditations. The student might write the meditations on two sticky
notes and stick then on his/her laptop. That way, the ideas of the two meditations are never far
from his/her thoughts as the busy clinical week progresses. When responses to the meditations
occur, student writes these down. On Sunday around noon-time the student reviews notes and
writes several paragraphs on what it was like to think about those meditations during the week.
The rubric for the JOT is consulted to be sure that the submission is meeting the expectations for
the assignment. The paragraphs are submitted to the professor or TA according to the schedule on
the welcome page. Feedback will be sent back to the student via email within 3-4 days.
Meanwhile, two new meditations are chosen to think about for the next week.




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Here is an example of the sunmission:

JOT Journal
N327
Maud Low

7/28/14

Part 1, Meditation 3. Have Compassion for Yourself This meditation was not really that
familiar for me. I am usually the person who strives to do the best and most possible all the time.
When I fall short of this, I am usually upset with myself. So, this idea struck me as not really that
important in my life.
But this week my car broke down on the way to clinical and I was late. This happened to me
no matter how hard I have tried to be sure that the car is taken care of. It just really made the
already stressful week that much more difficult. The thought of having compassion for myself
rather than getting angry with myself was kind of a relief. I think that I might just make things
worse for myself when I get so upset with myself when things go wrong.

Part 2, Meditation 17. Find Beauty. When I have free time. like on vacations or maybe on a
Saturday before nursing school, I think I am really good at seeing the beauty all around me. I am
a hiker and camper so I really love nature. But since nursing school, I am so overwhelmed all
the time with assignments and pressure to perform in clinical that I really dont think about what
is beautiful around me.
This week, the sticky note on my iPhone reminded me to notice beauty. The flowers in bloom
are really a pleasure to see even when driving home from a clinical to do homework and online
tests. This meditation was easier for me to incorporate into my life than the first one, because I
naturally do this anyway. It was just so much pressure that sort of stopped me from noticing
beauty recently.

Integrating New Knowledge Paper

Students will write a short paper, no more than 500 words. Papers submitted with more than 600
words will not be accepted. In this instance, the student author will be notified of the paper not
being accepted and he/she may resubmit their revised and shortened paper but it will be
considered late. ANY unexcused late submissions will lose one point for each hour late beyond
the original time/date due.

This paper should present an experience from the students past clinical or nursing work. This
may include an experience that occurred during the current semester. The situation will be
described as it happened including the students original thoughts and feelings. Next, the student
will describe learning that occurred through their psychiatric nursing coursework that changed
how he/she would handle that experience if, magically, the very same situation happened again.
The paper should include when and how the new understanding came to them this semester: In a
particular clinical situation? In the lecture on trauma? From a video? In a particular reading
assignment? In the Sim lab?

The paper mist be written in APA format. Spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are
important. Opening and closing paragraphs should reflect the underlying thesis of the paper.
Writing about nurses should is specifically discouraged. Instead, students are asked to write
about In my practice, I will When acronyms are used, the writer must write out the whole
statement the first time, immediately followed by the acronym in parentheses. After this the write
can simply use the acronym. If a student did not grow up speaking English in their home or
knows himself/ herself to be a poor writer, the writing center on campus should be consulted on
this paper. A rubric for grading the paper is available on the BBL site. (Notice that BBL was
defined in the last paragraph of the previous page and then only the acronym as used.)



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Weekly Quizzes

Quizzes will be given each week. Material for each quiz is taken from the reading material and lecture for that date.
However, this course is cumulative, meaning that once material is taught it is expected that the students are
responsible for knowing that information and applying it to the newer material. Quizzes are scheduled each week on
Monday evening and available between 8 and 10 PM only. The quizzes are multiple choice, there are 20 of them
(each worth 5 points), and are timed allowing 1.5 minutes per question. An explanation is given for each correct
answer, so that students are learning from their quiz experiences.
Kaplan Test

Date: 08/13/14
Time: ???
Place: Skinner Hall

Your Kaplan Integrated Test Report will include a Percentile Rank. This describes whether you have met the
NCLEX-RN standards and expected level of knowledge in the content area tested. If you obtain the following
Percentile Rank the following points will be included in your final grade for the course.

Percentile Rank Achieved on Secured
Integrated Kaplan Test
Points obtained for
Percentile Rank
50-100 2
41-49 1
40 or below 0


Final Exam

A 100 question, multiple choice test, similar to those on the NCLEX exam, will be the final exam for this course.
Test material will be taken from the assigned text readings and class lecture/discussion throughout the course,
cumulatively. There will be an emphasis on medications. Final exams are due at a scheduled date/time. Late exams
will only be accepted if there is a medical emergency and student notifies the professor, via phone conversation (not
a phone message) with an explanation which the professor accepts. prior to exam date. If this does not happen and
the student does not take the exam, then the student will receive a zero for the test score.

XII. Required texts:
Townsend, M. (2014). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice.-
sixth ed . Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Hanson, R. (2011). Just one thing. CA: New Harbinger Publications.


XIII. Bibliography

American Psychiatric Association (2000), Quick Reference Guide to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 4
th
Edition (DSMIV-TR). ISBN: 089042-026-2 Washingtion, DC: APA
Butler, G., Fennell, M., Robson, P., & Gelder, M. (1991). Camparison of behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral
therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 167-175.
Retrieved from http://www.psicologia1.uniroma1.it/repository/156/treatment_efficacy.pdf
Champagne, T. & Stromberg, N. (2004). Sensory approaches in inpatient psychiatric settings: Innovative
alternatives to seclusion & restraint. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 42(9), 35- 44.
Chandler, G. (2008). From traditional inpatient to trauma-informed treatment: Transferring control from staff to
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patient. Journal of American Psychiatric Nurses Association.14(5), 363-371.

Fuller, M & Sajatovic (2005). Lexi-Comps Drug Information Handbook for Psychiatry. (5
th
ed.) Hudson, OH: Lexi-
Comp
McLeod, E., & Spee, R. T. (2009, June 7). Uncovering meaning: how nursing knowledge changes policy in practice.
Nursing Science Quarterly, 16, 115-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894318403251782
Munro, S. L., Baker, J. A., & Playle, J. (2005). Cognitive behavioral therapy within acute mental health care: a critical
appraisal. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 14, 96-102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-
0979.2005.00365.x
National Institute of Mental Health (1999) Mental Health: A report of the Surgeon
General. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/toc.html#chapter1

National Institute of Mental Health (2001) Culture, Race and Ethnicity: a supplement to
mental health: a report of the Surgeon General.
http://www.mentalhealth.org/cre/default.asp

Prescott, L. (2000). Veterans of abuse and daughters of the dark: The politics of naming and risk of transformation in
building partnerships for change. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 34, 95- 100.

Petit, J.R. (2005). Management of the acutely violent patient. Psychiatric Clin N Am, 28, 701-711

Scaer, R.. (2000). The body bears the burden: Trauma, dissociation and disease. New York: Haworth Press.

Schultz, J.M. & Videbeck, S. D. (2008). Lippincotts Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans (8th ed.).
N.Y.: Lippincott.

Shatell, M., McAllister, S, Hogan, B & Thomas, S. (2006) She took the time to make sure she understood: Mental
health patients experiences of being understood. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 20 (5), 234241

Silvestri, L. A. (2005). Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN. (3
rd
ed.) Philadelphia: Saunders
CD-ROM: NCLEX review 3500 by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2005
Welsh, I., & Lyons, C. M. (2001, December 21). Evidene-based care and the case for intuition and tacit knowledge in
clinical assessment and decision making in mental health nursing practice: an empirical contribution to the debate.
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 8, 299-305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.13652850.2001.00386.x

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XIV. Topical Outline

Date Topic Homework due that day is as indicated below.
Written
work due that day must be submitted before 11
PM.
Resources Assignments
JOTs and Paper by 11 PM
7/21
First
Day
Course Introduction Read the syllabus,
Read the introduction to Just One Thing

Week 1 PPTs
and videos, see
weekly content
on BBL site
No Quiz!!!
7/28 Psychiatric/.Mental
Health Concepts and
Interventions
Read Townsend Chapters:1, 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11, &12
JOT any topic under Part 1: Be Good to Yourself
and Part 2: Enjoy Life

Week 2 PPTs
and videos, see
weekly content
on BBL site
Quiz #1 available on
Monday, 7/28 from 8 PM
to 10PM
JOT journal on 2 topics
8/4 Care of Patients with
Psychiatric Disorders
Read Townsend Chapters:13,14,15,16, 17, 18, 19, &
20
JOT any topic under and Part3 :Build Strengths and
Part 4: Engage the World

Week 3 PPTs
and videos, see
weekly content
on BBL site
Quiz #2 available on
Monday, 8/4 from 8 PM
to 10PM
JOT journal on 2 topics
8/11 Care of Patients with
Psychiatric Disorders
Read Townsend Chapters 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, & 27
JOT any topic under Part 5 :Be at Peace

Week 4 PPTs
and videos, see
weekly content
on BBL site
Quiz #3 available on
Monday, 8/11 from 8 PM
to 10PM
JOT journal on 1 topic
Paper Due
8/13 Kaplan and SRTIs
8/15
Last
Day
Final Exam Final Exam available on
Friday 8/15 from 8 PM to
10 PM