Janna Lesser , PhD, RN
E-mail: lesser@uthscsa.edu
Phone: (210) 567-7033
Office: 2.512
Office Hours: TBA
Family Nursing Care Department

1. Apply the nursing process in the provision of comprehensive care to individuals and families across the mental health continuum.
2. Participate as partners to customize therapeutic care for individuals and families experiencing transitions across the mental health continuum.
3. Use therapeutic communication specific to psychiatric care while implementing the professional role.
4. Use critical thinking skills in designing and implementing comprehensive mental health care.
5. Apply theory and research findings in providing care for individuals and families experiencing transitions  across the mental health continuum.
6. Participate in professional and collaborative partnerships.
7. Conform to ethical and legal professional codes and standards of practice.
8. Practice behaviors that demonstrate active participation in integrated learning processes.

Apply the nursing process in the provision of comprehensive care to individuals and families across the mental health continuum.

1. Apply the nursing process with actual patients experiencing mental health problems in varied environments.
2. Implement strategies for health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention for individuals with  mental health problems and families/significant others affected by those problems.
3. Participate in various therapeutic modalities such as milieu, individual, group, family therapies, education and support groups.
4. Use assessment data from mental health assessment, mental status exam, and family assessments to identify nursing diagnosis, plan, deliver, and evaluate quality-nursing care across environments.
5. Correlate patient's behavior with DSM IV TR diagnosis.
6. Integrate appropriate therapeutic nursing skills into the nursing process when providing care to include the patient's presenting problem(s) and related physical, emotional intellectual, social, and spiritual aspects of the patient's experiences.
7. Identify cultural variables in mental health nursing and how it affects nursing care.

Participate as partners to customize therapeutic care for individuals and families experiencing transitions across the mental health continuum.

1. Demonstrate safe, therapeutic, and customized nursing care.
2. Participate in Psychoeducation classes.
3. Observe Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics groups.
4. Special nursing considerations for patients receiving psychotropic medications.

Use therapeutic communication specific to psychiatric care while implementing the professional role.

1. Demonstrate professional role behavior.
2. Conduct therapeutic interviewing techniques.
3. Relate behaviors patient's manifest and provide rationale for it.
4. Identify anxieties of student nurse & patient.
5. Discuss behaviors and values that affect ability to interact with patients from different cultures.
6. Interact with patients manifesting psychotic behaviors.

Use critical thinking skills in designing and implementing comprehensive mental health care.

1. Demonstrate scholarship for the acquisition and application of new knowledge to practice.
2. Relate safety in application of nursing process.
3. Identify etiologies, risk factors, and manifestations for diagnosis and prioritize.
4. Prioritize manifestations and criteria.

Apply theory and research findings in providing care for individuals and families experiencing transitions across the mental health continuum.

1. Discuss research-based professional literature.
2. Use professional literature sources for scientific rationale for care.
3. Use evidence-based practice in providing psychiatric nursing care.

Participate in professional and collaborative partnerships.

1. Participate in team meetings and staffings.
2. Discuss patient care with faculty, staff, and other interdisciplinary team members.

Conform to ethical and legal professional codes and standards of practice.

1. Demonstrate accountability and responsibility for own behavior.
2. Identify responses constituting aggressive behavior.

Practice behaviors that demonstrate active participation in integrated learning processes.

1. Incorporate principles of self management to one's own learning.
2. Seek appropriate assistance and utilize guidance to facilitate own learning.
3. Incorporate therapeutic use of self into practice.

Successful completion of NURS.3520 requires the successful completion of both the clinical and theoretical components of the course.

Evaluation is a method for making instructional decisions and is an ongoing process which involves both instructor and student. Students are expected to submit written clinical self evaluations at mid-term and at the end of the semester.

Clinical performance is graded pass/fail and is evaluated on the basis of the written clinical objectives. Students will conduct at least 2 complete mental status exams. Students will also submit at least 2 written process recordings that reflect therapeutic use of self.  In addition, weekly self-reflective journals and attendance at a community support group (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous) are required. Written work must be submitted by the designated time on the date it is due. In order to pass the course clinical component a student must receive a pass grade on all clinical objectives and clinical assignments. If a student fails the clinical component, a grade of F in the course (regardless of the grade in theory) will be given.

Grades will be assigned on the basis of a percent system. To achieve a passing grade, the student must complete all items. Each graded item is assigned a percentage value. In order to pass the course, the student must achieve a minimum average of 70% on the examinations. The graded activities and their percentage of the course grade are as follows:

Kneisl, C.K., & Trigoboff, E . (Eds) (2008). Contemporary Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, 2nd ed.
        New Jersey ; Prentice Hall.

Townsend, M.  (2008).  Psychiatric Nursing Diagnosis, 7th ed . Oklahoma City; FA Davis

NURS. 3520 Strategies for Professional Nursing/Mental Health Transitions course packet.