Registered Nurse — Mental Health & Behavioral Nursing
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What you'll learn:
Foundations - **Description:** Begin with a broad overview of mental health. Define mental health, mental illness, and behavioral disorders. Explore the history of mental healthcare, including the evolution of treatment approaches. Understand the role of a Registered Nurse (RN) in mental health settings. Learn about the scope of practice for RNs in mental health. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Understand the basic concepts of mental health and the role of the RN in mental health nursing. Define key terms related to mental illness.
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What you'll learn:
Anxiety and Mood Disorders - **Description:** Focus on the most prevalent mental health disorders: anxiety disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias) and mood disorders (e.g., Depression, Bipolar Disorder). Learn about the diagnostic criteria, common signs and symptoms, and general treatment approaches (pharmacological and non-pharmacological). - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Identify the key features of anxiety and mood disorders. Understand basic treatment approaches for these disorders. Become familiar with the DSM-5 as a reference.
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What you'll learn:
Medications for Mental Health - **Description:** Introduce the fundamentals of psychopharmacology. Learn about the different classes of medications commonly used to treat mental health disorders: antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics. Focus on the mechanism of action, common side effects, and nursing implications for medication administration. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Understand the basics of psychopharmacology and identify common medication classes used in mental health. Recognize common side effects and nursing responsibilities in medication administration.
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What you'll learn:
- **Description:** Develop essential therapeutic communication skills. Learn about active listening, empathy, validation, and establishing trust. Understand how to build a therapeutic relationship with patients experiencing mental health challenges. Explore nonverbal communication and its significance. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Understand and practice core therapeutic communication techniques. Begin to develop skills in building rapport and establishing a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship.
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What you'll learn:
- **Description:** Explore crisis intervention strategies. Learn about identifying potential crisis situations and applying de-escalation techniques. Understand the principles of safety for both the patient and the nurse. Discuss suicide risk assessment and intervention. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Recognize signs of a potential crisis. Understand and practice basic de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention strategies. Be familiar with suicide risk assessment.
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What you'll learn:
- **Description:** Understand the legal and ethical considerations specific to mental health nursing. Learn about patient rights, confidentiality, informed consent, and involuntary commitment. Discuss the nurse's role in protecting patient rights and promoting ethical practice. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Understand patient rights and ethical principles in mental health nursing. Be aware of the legal aspects related to mental health practice.
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What you'll learn:
- **Description:** Discuss mental health considerations for special populations (e.g., children, adolescents, older adults). Consider cultural factors that influence mental health. Learn about the importance of self-care for nurses working in mental health settings. - **Resources or Activities:** - **Expected Outcomes:** Understand the needs of special populations in mental health. Develop awareness of the importance of cultural considerations and personal self-care for nurses working in this field. Have a basic understanding of self-care strategies.
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