Premium
Rebuilding the foundations: Major renovations to the mental health component of an undergraduate nursing curriculum
Author(s) -
Spence Deborah,
Garrick Helen,
McKay Marie
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2011.00806.x
Subject(s) - curriculum , mental health , component (thermodynamics) , mental health nursing , nursing , psychology , medical education , medicine , pedagogy , psychotherapist , physics , thermodynamics
Concerns relating to the adequacy of nurses' preparation for the care of people with mental illness prompted significant revision of the mental health component in a Bachelor of Health Science nursing programme in New Zealand that prepares approximately 200 students per year. Working collaboratively with clinical providers, university staff developed and introduced three courses (equivalent to 450 hours of learning) specifically focused on mental health science, inpatient practice, and primary community mental health practice. This paper provides an overview of the new courses and reports the findings of an appreciative inquiry evaluation of this curriculum innovation.