Mental health and substance abuse nursing (12cr)

Content

Type of course:
Compulsory

Level of course:
Professional studies

Objective of course:
Students
-have professional abilities to encounter, help and guide individuals and families in times of crisis in life, especially in mental health and substance abuse problems
-recognise common mental health problems and understand their effects on wellbeing and health at the levels of individuals, families and society
-recognise and reflect ethical viewpoints related to their own work and their values towards people with mental health and substance abuse problems
-know the most common mental health problems and the related common methods of care in mental health and substance abuse work
-recognise substance abuse problems, understand their consequences on health and wellbeing
-manage broaching substance abuse and motivation towards change
-familiarize themselves with mental health and substance abuse care methods: in individual, family-, network- and community-oriented care and medication building their learning and practices on evidence-based information
-recognize their own feelings in cooperation relationships with patients/clients suffering from mental health and/or substance abuse problems, are able to process and use them in professional interaction
-can report things related to patients´/clients' holistic care verbally and in written
-gain an overall picture of the principles and meaning of mental health rehabilitation
-are familiar with referral practices in mental health services and the service system in substance abuse problems
-act as members of multiprofessional work community in mental health or substance abuse services
-deepen their reflective work approach by supervision to develop their professionality

Course contents:
- falling ill as crisis and basics of crisis intervention
- mental health and mental health problems, different explanation models on mental health problems
- psychological defence mechanisms
- key views on personality
- psychiatric diagnostics and psychiatry as special field of medicine
- key mental health problems
- encountering persons with depression and/or suicidality
- encountering persons with substance abuse problems and basics of substance abuse care
- legislation on alcohol and national alcohol programme
- service system for people suffering from substance abuse
- psychotic experiences and encountering patients with psychotic symptoms
- care and rehabilitation of people suffering from schizophrenia
- encountering patients with personality disorders
- assisting methods in mental health nursing
- forms of psychotherapy
- problem-solving approach
- fields of child welfare and child welfare law
- referral systems in mental health and substance abuse problems
- recognition of feelings emerging in professional interaction with people suffering from mental health and/or substance abuse problems through supervision

Teaching methods:
Lectures, tutorials, orientation to clinical training, clinical training, independent study, diary on feelings, study visits, written assignment, supervision

Assessment methods:
Exams, self-evaluation, peer review, written assignment, pharmacotherapy test, skills test, evaluation given by the supervisor and teacher

Prerequisites:
First-year studies,
Before entering the second year studies 50 credits of first year studies should be completed. These 50 credits should include 3 credits of pharmacology treatment and medical calculation.

Required reading:
Inkinen, M., Partanen, A., Sutinen, T. (2000) Päihdehoitotyö. Tammi. Tampere.
Punamäki, R-L. (2002) Kiintymyssuhteen ja traumaattisen kokemuksen yhteys. In: Varhaiset ihmissuhteet ja niiden häiriintyminen. Ed. Sinkkonen S. ja Kalland M. WSOY. Helsinki.
Punkanen, T. (2001) Mielenterveystyö ammattina. Tammi. Tampere
Huttunen, M. (2004) Lääkkeet mielen hoidossa. Duodecim. Helsinki.
Vilen M., Leppämäki P. ja Ekström L. (2002) Vuorovaikutuksellinen tukeminen sosiaali- ja terveysalalla.

Name of lecturer
Ms Irmeli Pekkinen

Year of study:
Second year

Period
1,2,3,4

Language of instruction:
Finnish

Parts of course:
K264A-8 Mental health and substance abuse nursing 3 cr
K264B-8 Supervised independent learning 2 cr
K264C-8 Mental health and substance abuse nursing, orientation to clinical training 1 cr
K264D-8 Mental health and substance abuse nursing, clinical training 6 cr