Outline

Overview

This unit of study is based on the understanding that well-being is a multifaceted construct composed of various elements related to physical and mental health, as well as social determinants of health. Most people will experience challenges to their well-being during their lifetime, and almost half the population will experience a mental health issue at some point. This unit of study addresses the principle that knowledge of psychosocial well-being and mental health is essential for all nurses, regardless of their practice setting or the populations with whom they work. The unit is underpinned by a biopsychosocial approach, incorporates a well-being framework and is informed by the determinants of health. Students will be introduced to the broad construct of well-being while also exploring mental health and mental health issues across the lifespan (perinatal, child and adolescent, adult, older person), and in relation to different cultural groups (e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; CALD groups). Using the context of a whole-person and network/community in partnership approach, students will explore the role of the nurse in promoting well-being and mental health and supporting people to manage the effects of compromised mental health. Promotion of and threats to well-being broadly, and mental health more specifically, are also explored through healthcare principles and practices related to quality and safety and co-design. Students will develop understanding about the elements of wellbeing, including mental health, and how to promote them. They will also develop foundation knowledge about the characteristics of a range of mental health issues and conditions hand will become informed about practices to support people in their recovery. Students will learn about and practice core clinical skills that will prepare them to provide well-being focused and culturally safe nursing care. These skills include effective interpersonal communication with people across the life span, culturally safe interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and development of therapeutic relationships.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	NURS2009
Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	NURS2004
Prerequisites ?	36 credit points of 1000 level units including NURS1008
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Xanthe Lea, xanthe.glaw@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Andrea McCloughen, andrea.mccloughen@sydney.edu.au
	Timothy Wand, timothy.wand@sydney.edu.au
	Paul Beckett, paul.beckett@sydney.edu.au
	Rebecca Riva, rebecca.riva@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Oral exam ?	Assessment 3: Oral Exam Make a video, then attend an in person Oral Exam.	40%	Formal exam period	20 minutes (oral)
Outcomes assessed:
Placement	Assessment 4: Off-Campus Clinical Placement Competency assessment	0%	Formal exam period Due date: 17 Jun 2024 at 07:00 Closing date: 26 Jul 2024	80 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 1: Essay Essay on promoting mental health and well-being	40%	Week 06 Due date: 27 Mar 2024 at 23:59	1800 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 2: Group presentation Mental health and well-being across the lifespan presentation	20%	Week 09 Due date: 24 Apr 2024 at 23:59	20 mins
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1 Essay: Submit a satisfactory 1800 word original essay on an allocated topic related to promoting mental health and well-being.
Assessment 2 Group Presentation: Satisfactorily participate in the development and delivery of a group presentation to your peers on an allocated topic related to mental illness across the lifespan. Slides will be submitted prior to the presentation which will be delivered during scheduled tutorial time.
Assessment 3 Oral Exam: Pass a final exam which incorporates key content from across the semester.
Assessment 4 Clinical Placement: Satisfactorily complete 80 hours of placement and associated competency assessment tasks.

Please note: Each student is required to submit all assessment items in order to pass this unit. Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark Range	Description
High Distinction	85-100	Work of an extremely high standard as per inidividual marking rubric
Distinction	75-84	Work of a very high standard as per inidividual marking rubric
Credit	65-74	Work of a high standard as per inidividual marking rubric
Pass	50-64	Work of an adequate standard as per inidividual marking rubric
Fail	<50	Work was not submitted or did not meet the expected standard or requirements

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For submitted work, late penalties are 5% of possible total mark, per day, up until 10 days. That is each calendar day after the due date the work is submitted a deduction of 5% of the maximum mark will be applied. After ten days late, a mark of zero will be awarded. For group work and exams there are no late penalties, special consideration will apply.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1.1 Introduction to Unit and Assessments 1.2 Introduction to Well-being, Mental Health, the Biopsychosocial Model, the Social Determinants of Health, and Resilience and Coping	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	2.1 Promoting Health Across the Lifespan 2.2 History of Mental Healthcare in Australia including Perinatal, Child, Adolescent, Adult and Older Persons, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Well-being and Mental Health	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	3.1 Therapeutic Relationships, Therapeutic Communication and Empathy 3.2 Therapeutic Relationships and Working with Families and Cultures	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	2. Therapeutic Relationships, Empathy and Professional Self-Care	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	4.1 Mental Illness, Mental Healthcare, and Recovery related to Perinatal, Children, Adolescents, Adults and Older People 4.2 Introduction to Mental Healthcare and Contexts for Practice including Cultural Safety and Humility	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	1. Psychological Safety, Engagement and Active Listening Skills	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	5.1 Mental Health Assessment 5.2 Mental State Exam	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	2. Stress and Distress	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	6.1 Affective Disorders 6.2 Anxiety Disorders	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	3. Mental State Exam	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	7.1 Trauma and the Development of Personality, Personality Disorders, and Addressing Challenging Behaviours 7.2 Suicide and Self-Harm	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	4. De-escalation	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	8.1 Schizophrenia and Psychosis 8.2 Consumer Experiences of Schizophrenia and Psychosis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	3. Risk Assessment and Safety Planning	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	9.1 Eating Disorders 9.2 Substance Use Disorders	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	5. Auditory and Visual Hallucinations and Other Psychotic Experiences	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	10.1 Psychopharmacology 10.2 Psychopharmacology	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	4. Group Presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	11.1 Mental Health Act, Mental Health Treatment and Legal and Ethical Complexities 11.2 Pre-hospital and Paramedic Mental Healthcare, Delirium, Seclusion and Restraint	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	5. Group Presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	12.1 Consumer Movements and their Significance 12.2 Consumer Experiences	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	6. Preparing for the Mental Health Clinical Placement	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	13.1 Exam Preparation	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	7. Self-Directed Study	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Sensitive materials in teaching: Please note that in this Unit of Study sensitive and potentially distressing or disturbing content will be presented and/or discussed from time to time. This may include reference to for example, of people’s experiences of health and illness and/or culturally sensitive issues. These topics are relevant to your learning in this unit of study and your knowledge and skill development for nursing practice. You will be advised before the information/topic is presented. If you are participating in the teaching session/activity online, you are advised to use headphones and ensure that anyone not participating in the session cannot see images that you may be watching on your device. If the nature of the content makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the academic team to discuss this with them.

Attendance: The Sydney Nursing School Resolutions specifically outline attendance requirements. Resolution 7.2 states that if students are absent without leave for more than 10% of classes in a particular unit of study in any one semester, the Dean may call upon them to show cause why they should not be deemed to have failed that unit of study.

It is expected that all students participate and fully engage in the content of this unit of study by attending lectures, tutorials and laboratories, being prepared for tutorials and laboratories, contributing to discussions in class and online, and providing and receiving feedback in a respectful and dignified manner.

Students must also attend 100% of all clinical simulation laboratories (CSL) and off campus clinical, which are supplemented with online and group activities.

Referencing style: The Sydney Nursing School has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing style, 7th Edition, 2020 as its official referencing style. This is an author-date style of referencing.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Comprehend the constructs of well-being, mental health and mental health issues/conditions and discuss the potential influence of biopsychosocial risk and protective factors and age, gender and culture, on the experience of well-being and mental health and recovery from mental health issues.
LO2. Search for, evaluate and critically analyse the evidence for strategies that promote well-being and mental health, and approaches to manage the impacts of mental health issues, across the life span and sociocultural groups.
LO3. Articulate a coherent understanding of varied mental health conditions and the different ways psychosocial and mental health changes can manifest for people and can begin to integrate this knowledge into planning and delivering safe, therapeutic nursing practice.
LO4. Appreciate the subjective experience of mental health issues and recovery by working in ways that demonstrate growing understanding of the principles of partnering with consumers and shared decision-making, effective interpersonal communication, and culturally safe interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
LO5. Demonstrate beginning knowledge and skills to support the provision of professional, legal, safe and quality nursing practice, in the context of the interdisciplinary team, for people experiencing changes in mental health and well-being.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.3. Respects 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 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.3. Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.3. Respects 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 2.7. Actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person- centered care 3.2. Provides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health 5.1. Uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.4. Complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 1.6. Maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision- making, actions and evaluations 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 6.1. Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people 6.2. Practises within their scope of practice 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.3. Respects 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 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 2.1. Establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.3. Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.3. Respects 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 1.4. Complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 1.6. Maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision- making, actions and evaluations 2.1. Establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 2.4. Provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health related decisions 2.5. Advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity 2.7. Actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person- centered care 3.2. Provides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health 3.4. Accepts accountability for decisions, actions, behaviours and responsibilities inherent in their role, and for the actions of others to whom they have delegated responsibilities 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 5.1. Uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan 6.1. Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people 6.2. Practises within their scope of practice 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit was first offered in 2021 and 2022. Minor changes have been made since the unit was last offered. Students requested more practice on clinical interpersonal skills so this has been expanded on in the workshops. Students asked for more weighting to be given to the group presentation as they said a lot of effort went into this task. Weighing was 50/35/15 and has been changed to 40/40/20, giving the group presentation 20/100, essay 40/100 and exam 40/100. Written Exam changed to Oral Exam for 2023 due a change in the way exams are managed by the university. In 2023 students have requested more on de-escalation techniques which will be added to 2024 workshops. Students reported they preferred the Oral Exam to a written one so they Oral Exam will remain for 2024. Further brand new textbooks have been added for further additional readings for students who would like this.

Additional information

Sensitive materials in teaching: Please note that in this Unit of Study sensitive and potentially distressing or disturbing content might be presented and/or discussed from time to time. This may include reference to for example, discrimination, assault, suicide, illness, death and dying or culturally sensitive issues. These topics are relevant to your learning and your knowledge and skill development for nursing practice.

You will be advised before the information/topic is presented. If you are participating in the teaching session/activity online, you are advised to use headphones and ensure that anyone not participating in the session cannot see images that you may be watching on your device. If the nature of the content makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the academic team to discuss this with them.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

NURS2009: Promoting Well-being and Mental Health

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect