I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Psychosocial Nursing

2. Course Prefix & Number:
PNUR 1168

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course presents general principles of communication in the health care setting. The course will build on the studentÆs basic skills and assist in developing skills in the care of emotional/mental illness, substance abuse, and social problems emphasizing nursing interventions in all health care settings.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

7. Other Prerequisites

Admission to the Practical Nursing Program

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Name of Institution	Course Number and Title	Credits
Ridgewater College	NURS 1600	3
St. Cloud Technical College	PRSG 1444	2

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course fulfills a requirement for the following program(s):

Name of Program(s)	Program Type
Practical Nursing Program	Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Demonstrate therapeutic communication techniques (both verbal and nonverbal).
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Discuss diverse cultural and environmental situations related to client care across the health care continuum.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

Expected Outcome	MnTC Goal Area
Define psychosocial nursing care
Describe the impact of client behavior problems in a managed healthcare setting
Identify Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in explaining a client’s response to illness
Identify defense mechanisms and common coping mechanisms
Describe key components of a psychosocial observation/assessment
Identify key issues in therapeutic communication
Explain how culture will influence a psychosocial observation/assessment
Describe legal, ethical and confidentiality issues commonly encountered by nurses in the healthcare setting
Describe common client problems with anxiety and the most appropriate nursing interventions
Describe the depressed, suicidal, and grieving client and appropriate nursing interventions
Describe the manic client and appropriate nursing interventions
Describe the confused client and appropriate nursing interventions
Identify factors contributing to substance abuse and nursing interventions that are appropriate
Discuss anorexia nervosa and bulimia including interventions
Differentiate between functional/dysfunctional families
Identify factors that may precipitate spiritual distress
Identify the indications/clinical uses for anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-manic meds
Describe professional boundary issues and implications for nursing practice

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Intro to Psychosocial Nursing
2. Culture, Religion
• “Cultural 6 Phenomena”
3. Understanding
• Mental Health
• Mental Illness
4. Issues
• Legal
• Ethical
5. Confidentiality
• HIPAA
• Policies and procedures
6. Defense Mechanisms
• Rationalization
• Intellectualization
• Reaction formation
• Dissociation
• Displacement,
• Repression
• Regression
7. Mentally Healthy Nursing
• Boundaries
• Teamwork
• Assertiveness vs. Aggressiveness
• Burnout
8. The Nurse Client Relationship
• Therapeutic Communication
• Role Plays
• Blockers to Communication
9. Stress and Coping
• Hans Selye
• Adaptive & Maladaptive Stress
10. Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology
11. Schizophrenia
• Positive and negative symptoms
• Types
• Treatment and nursing care
12. Mood Disorders
• Bi-polar
• Treatment and nursing care
13. Personality Disorders
• Borderline
• Antisocial
• Dependant
• Dramatic
• Narcissistic
14. Psychosocial Issues in General Client Care
• Manipulation/Staff Splitting
• Noncompliance
15. Anxiety Disorders
• Generalized anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
16. Substance
• Abuse
• Dependency
• Treatment
17. Eating Disorders
• Anorexia
• Bulimia 
18. Dementia & Cognitive Disorders
• Delirium
• Confusion
19. Violence & Abuse
• Types
• Mandatory reporting
20. Patient in Pain
• Description of pain
• Quality of pain
• Characteristics of pain
• Alleviating interventions
• Aggravating causes
21. Psychosocial Issues in General Patient Care
• Crisis
• Chronic Illness
• Spiritual Needs
• Religious Issues