Unit rationale, description and aim

There is an increasing prevalence of mental health issues in society that affect the individual, their families and communities. It is crucial that registered nurses recognise and respond to the needs of individuals experiencing mental health conditions under their care by using a range of therapeutic skills and nursing interventions to ensure that individuals and their families and carers are supported in their recovery journey.

This unit will provide opportunities for students to develop fundamental skills and knowledge to engage with individuals experiencing mental health conditions. Students will be able to develop therapeutic skills that underpin recovery-oriented practice and trauma-informed principles when engaging with these individuals and their families and carers.

This unit will build on the content taught in NRSG140 Integrating Practice 2 and enable students to practice and apply therapeutic communication skills and legal and practice framework knowledge within a mental health context. The scenario-based teaching and simulated learning activities assist students in developing the knowledge and skills required for working with a range of consumers experiencing various major mental health conditions. Students will also be able to integrate foundational mental health nursing practice skills with theoretical knowledge that will help them consolidate their learning and equip them for professional practice placements and their future practice as registered nurses. The role of the registered nurse will be considered across a variety of mental health settings and include considerations across the lifespan, legal and ethical issues, the impact of comorbid conditions and vulnerability for individuals who experience a mental health condition.

This aim of this unit is to support students to develop knowledge and skills in relation to evidence-based practices which enable safe and effective care for persons experiencing mental health issues.

2025 10

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Prerequisites

NRSG140 Integrating Practice 2

For Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurses) students: Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Describe the role of the nurse within the mental h...

Learning Outcome 01

Describe the role of the nurse within the mental health multidisciplinary team.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC6

Apply therapeutic communication skills that are es...

Learning Outcome 02

Apply therapeutic communication skills that are essential when interacting with individuals, their families and carers.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC12

Apply knowledge of relevant mental health legislat...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply knowledge of relevant mental health legislation and practice frameworks, including legal and ethical principles.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Develop skills to conduct mental health assessment...

Learning Outcome 04

Develop skills to conduct mental health assessments for individuals experiencing mental health conditions across the lifespan.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC12

Examine the factors impacting the mental health an...

Learning Outcome 05

Examine the factors impacting the mental health and well-being of individuals across the lifespan.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Apply critical thinking, clinical reasoning, legal...

Learning Outcome 06

Apply critical thinking, clinical reasoning, legal, ethical and practice frameworks when planning contemporary therapeutic interventions that support the recovery of individuals with various mental health conditions, their families, and caregivers across the lifespan.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Content

Topics will include:

  • Overview of the concepts of health, mental health and wellbeing and mental illness
  • The concept of mental health recovery
  • Interconnection between mental health and physical health
  • Diagnostic overshadowing
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Factors impacting mental health and wellbeing.
  • Stigma
  • Cultural diversity and health beliefs
  • Mental health priorities in the global and the Australian context
  • Introduction to mental health nursing
  • Theoretical frameworks used in mental health nursing.
  • Role of a mental health nurse within the multidisciplinary team
  • Therapeutic communication and engagement
  • Mental health legislation and practice frameworks
  • Mental Health Act
  • Privacy, confidentiality and consent
  • Legal and ethical considerations in practice 
  • Understanding the lived experiences of individuals families and carers in relation to mental health
  • Recovery-oriented practice and principles of care
  • Supported decision-making
  • Trauma informed care
  • Person centred care
  • Clinical reasoning cycle
  • Vulnerable populations including
  • Indigenous populations
  • Young people
  • Classifications of mental health disorders
  • Major mental health conditions
  • Identification of early behaviours indicating mental health issues
  • Common signs and symptoms
  • Comorbidities
  • Impact of alcohol and drug use
  • Nursing assessment & management of major mental health conditions across the lifespan and within multiple service settings
  • Components of a comprehensive mental health assessment
  • Mental status examination
  • Risk Assessment - static and dynamic factors
  • Importance of physical health monitoring for consumers experiencing mental health conditions
  • Common Therapeutic approaches:
  • Non-pharmacological nursing interventions
  • Pharmacological interventions including common medications for the major mental health conditions
  • Partnerships in care
  • Individual
  • Family and carer
  • Community
  • Role of interprofessional teams
  • Collaborative approaches to care and other agencies assisting in care
  • Referral systems

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes and attain the graduate capabilities.

When caring for individuals with mental health conditions, it is important to adopt a person-centred approach that prioritizes recovery-oriented practices, trauma-informed principles, and supported decision-making. This approach ensures that interactions between nurses and consumers are based on respect for their individual experiences and those of their families and caregivers.

A formative communication skill assessment provides feedback and guidance to students’ learning. It involves applying and reflecting on the therapeutic communication skills and other practice frameworks such as the person-centred care approach, trauma-informed care principles, and recovery-oriented practice frameworks they learnt in the first few weeks of the semester. This assessment will be a scaffolded activity for applying the therapeutic communication skills the students learn in their first year of nursing studies.

This unit assessment includes a recorded case study presentation that allows students to demonstrate their understanding of various concepts of mental health, the factors that impact an individual’s mental health and well-being, and the role of the nurse both individually and within the interprofessional team mental health team. It will require students to apply critical thinking, clinical reasoning, legal, ethical and practice frameworks when planning care for individuals with mental health conditions, their families, and carers.

The written exam assesses students' ability to plan care for individuals with mental health conditions using critical thinking, clinical reasoning, legal and ethical frameworks, and practice guidelines. This requires a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding of the content taught in this unit, the professional experience practice expectations, and scope of practice as a student nurse.

These assessments are included as they examine activities that are required for the sound professional practice of the registered nurse when caring for individuals experiencing mental health conditions. These assessments are required to build student knowledge and skills, which, by the conclusion of this programme, will enable the student to graduate as a safe and effective nurse.

In order to pass this unit, you are required to achieve a cumulative grade of 50% or greater and attend 100% of simulation-based learning activities.

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome.

Attendance at classroom-based simulation workshops

You are required to attend all classroom-based simulation workshops (8 hours total) in NRSG263. This 100% minimum attendance requirement for classroom-based simulation workshops is mandated because attendance at these classes is integral to achievement of the learning outcomes in NRSG263. Attendance and active participation at classroom-based simulation workshops are also an essential component of preparation for your professional experience placement in NRSG263.

If you have an illness, and/or personal circumstance beyond your control that leads to your non-attendance at classroom-based simulation workshops you will be expected to provide a medical certificate or Statutory Declaration to support your absence for each class missed. Make-up will only be provided for students with appropriate supporting documentation, and in exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Lecturer-in-Charge. The procedure for lodging the Practical Class Absenteeism form is provided on Canvas.

As part of Standard 1: Safety of the public in The Registered Nurse Accreditation Standards (ANMAC, 2019), standard 1.7 stipulates that “only students who have demonstrated the requisite knowledge and skills required for safe practice are eligible for PEP [professional experience placement]”. It is an expectation therefore that students attend their classroom-based simulation workshops to demonstrate they have obtained the required knowledge and skills to attend professional experience placements in subsequent IP units.

If you do not meet the minimum attendance requirement for classroom-based simulation workshops in NRSG263 then you will be unable to successfully complete the required assessment tasks and demonstrate achievement of the Unit learning outcomes.

If you think you will not be able to meet the mandatory attendance requirements in NRSG263 please contact your Lecturer-in-Charge as soon as possible to discuss.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1 - Therapeutic Communication and...

Assessment Task 1 - Therapeutic Communication and Reflection

Enable students to apply fundamental mental health nursing skills and knowledge within a mental health context.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2 - Case Study Presentation Ena...

Assessment Task 2 - Case Study Presentation

Enables students to demonstrate understanding of concepts and patient factors in mental health.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

Assessment Task 3 - Written Exam This assessment...

Assessment Task 3 - Written Exam

This assessment enables students to demonstrate understanding of core unit content.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Learning and teaching methods in this unit include online activities, lectures, tutorials, simulation-based learning activities and self-directed study. Consistent with adult learning principles, the teaching and learning strategies used within these modes of delivery will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to professional nursing practice.

Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively with peers. This strategy will also support students in meeting the aims, learning outcomes and graduate capabilities of the unit and the broader course learning outcomes.

Students at university need to operate effectively as self-sufficient learners who drive their own learning and access the learning supports they require. To guide students in their learning, feedback is required to identify what is being done well, what requires additional work and to identify progress toward required learning outcomes. Located in the second year of the programme, this theory unit includes face-to-face teaching hours and an increasing online component of learning to build life-long learning skills. Online recorded lectures are utilised to convey content and its central principles while tutorials and simulation-based learning activities provide an opportunity to consolidate students’ understanding of content through collaboration and discussion. Tutorials and simulation-based learning activities deliver interactive and student driven learning sessions which require an increasing reliance on students to extend their community of learners and increase self-reliance. Online materials provide students with the opportunity to undertake directed, self-motivated study and continue to transition to independent study and life-long learning. 

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice

In connection to the learning outcomes, these are the national Registered nurse standards for practice for all RNs. Together with NMBA standards, codes and guidelines, these Registered nurse standards for practice should be evident in current practice, and inform the development of the scopes of practice and aspirations of RNs.

  • Relating toThinks critically and analyses nursing practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toAccesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings, for safe, quality practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toDevelops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toRespects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toComplies with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toUses ethical frameworks when making decisions

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toMaintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision-making, actions and evaluations, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toEngages in therapeutic and professional relationships

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toEstablishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toCommunicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toRecognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toProvides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toAdvocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toUses delegation, supervision, coordination, consultation and referrals in professional relationships to achieve improved health outcomes

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toActively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person-centred care

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toParticipates in and/or leads collaborative practice, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

  • Relating toMaintains the capability for practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toConsiders and responds in a timely manner to the health and wellbeing of self and others in relation to the capability for practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toProvides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toUses a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self and others

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toAccepts accountability for decisions, actions, behaviours and responsibilities inherent in their role, and for the actions of others to whom they have delegated responsibilities

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toIdentifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people.

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toComprehensively conducts assessments

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toConducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toUses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toWorks in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and wellbeing of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/ or for referral, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toAssesses the resources available to inform planning.

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toDevelops a plan for nursing practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toUses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toCollaboratively constructs nursing practice plans until contingencies, options priorities, goals, actions, outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the relevant persons

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toDocuments, evaluates and modifies plans accordingly to facilitate the agreed outcomes

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toPlans and negotiates how practice will be evaluated and the time frame of engagement, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toProvides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toProvides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toPractises within their scope of practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toPractises in accordance with relevant policies, guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toEvaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toEvaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

  • Relating toRevises the plan based on the evaluation, and

    Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO4, LO5, LO6

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

This reference list was finalised in 2024 for internal curriculum approval; it will be revised prior to unit delivery to ensure the most current representative text and reference list for students.

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders DSM-5-TR (5th ed. text revision.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Foster, K., Marks, P., O'Brien, A., & Raeburn, T. (2020). Mental Health in Nursing: Theory and Practice for Clinical Settings. Elsevier Health Sciences. (available as e-book)

Hercelinskyj, G & Alexander, L. (2020). Mental health nursing: Applying theory to practice. Cengage. (available as e-book)

Levett-Jones, T. (Ed.).(2022). Clinical Reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse. (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Mental Health Act for your state/territory:

  • Victoria – Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022
  • Australian Capital Territory – Mental Health Act 2015
  • New South Wales: Mental Health Act 2007 No 8
  • Queensland: Mental Health Act 2016

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational interviewing. Helping people change (4th ed.).The Guildford Press.

Moxham, L., Hazelton, M., Muir-Cochrane, E., Heffernan, T., Kneisl, C., & Trigoboff, E. (2018). Contemporary psychiatric-mental health nursing: Partnerships in care. Pearson Education Australia.

Muir-Cochrane, E., Barkway, P. & Nizette, D. (2018) Pocketbook of Mental Health (3rd ed.). NSW: Elsevier.

Nizette, D., McAllister, M., & Marks, P. (2021). Stories in mental health. Reflection inquiry action (2nd ed.). Elsevier Australia.

Skinner, J. (2015). Nursing by the heart: Transformational self-care for nurses. John Hunt Publishing.

Tiziani, A. P. (2021). Havard’s nursing guide to drugs (11th ed). Elsevier.

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