Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: An Introduction to Theory and Practice
Learning Objectives
Chapter One: Introduction to Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
• Describe the evolution of psychiatric-mental health nursing care.
• List the members of the contemporary multidisciplinary treatment team and
describe the distinctive abilities of each professional member.
• Explain two key concepts from each of the psychoanalytic, interpersonal, and
behavioral conceptual models.
• Discuss the impact on psychiatric-mental health nursing of the works of Peplau,
Orlando, King, Orem, and Riehl-Sisca.
• Describe the characteristics of individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy,
milieu therapy, crisis intervention, and somatic therapies.
Chapter Two: Issues and Trends in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
• Discuss the applicability of standards of practice to psychiatric-mental health
nursing.
• Explain the differences in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in the field
of mental health.
• Describe the application of the nursing process to psychiatric-mental health
nursing.
• Defend the need for mental health parity in health care.
• Contrast the differences and similarities in the practice of psychiatric-mental
health registered nurses and psychiatric-mental health advanced practice
registered nurses.
Chapter Three: The Psychiatric Nursing Assessment
• Identify the components of a holistic assessment, including mental status
examination.
• Correctly use psychiatric terminology to describe a client’s symptoms
• Choose the appropriate interviewing techniques to gather information for a
holistic assessment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role of psychological testing, including
rating scales, in assessment.
• Demonstrate understanding of each of the five axes in a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis.
Chapter Four: Neurobiological Considerations in Psychiatric Care
• Describe the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the brain in relation to mental
health and illness.
