Overview
Two in five adult Australians have experienced mental illness in their lifetime, including substance use disorder, affecting the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). Therefore, all registered nurses will encounter people with mental health issues. This unit introduces you to mental health as a national health priority, including the importance of assessing the mental health of people with physical health issues and the physical health of people with mental health issues. You will also develop strategies to support people experiencing stress and distress in various health settings. Finally, you explore recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches to providing care to people with mental illness, including relevant legal, ethical and professional frameworks and self-care strategies.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: N7218 or NURS11165 NURS11170 or admission to CM77 Co-requisite: BIOH12011
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank Steve Haines for his incredible support and leadership throughout our placement and this unit. Your dedication to preparing us both mentally and professionally made such a difference, especially during my mental health placement. I truly appreciate the time, care, and encouragement you provided to ensure we felt ready and confident in our roles. I am also deeply grateful for how you stood up for me and continuously advocated for our wellbeing and learning experiences. It meant more than I can express to know that you genuinely cared about our growth and success. and a huge thanks to all the unit coordinators for yout ongoing support and guidance throughout this unit. Your collective effort has created an environment where we could learn, reflect, and thrive. Thank you again for everything you've done to support and inspire us. Your compassion and professionalism have left a lasting impact.
Unit Coordinators will continue to apply diverse teaching, learning and assessment philosophies and methods aligned with Pedagogy, Andragogy, Bloom's taxonomy framework, Benner's concept relating to stages of clinical competence and principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Unit Coordinators will also continue to underpin their educationalist practice with recognised educational and mental health nursing theories and practice skills; Australian College of Mental Health Nursing (ACMHN) Standards of Practice and Scope of Practice; NMBA Standards and Codes; ICN Code of Ethics and the CQUniversity Values (Engagement, Can do approach, Openness, Leadership, Inclusiveness).
Feedback from SUTE
Such a great unit. Enjoyed it experiencing another side of nursing, that really brings out the caring and compassionate qualities. I loved this unit and it was so informative, I have learnt so much over this term. The unit coordinators were amazing and I could not ask for a better layout or structure. It is disappointing that there is a possibility of removing Mental Health PEP, as it plays such a vital role in all aspects of nursing. Mental health is encountered in the community, medical wards, surgical wards, emergency departments, and almost every other area of practice. Removing it would take away essential experience that nurses need when caring for individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
Unit Coordinators will continue to apply diverse teaching, learning and assessment philosophies and methods aligned with pedagogy, andragogy, Bloom's taxonomy framework, Benner's concept relating to stages of clinical competence and principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Feedback from Email
Good afternoon awesome Mental Health lecturers, I have just completed a 2-day residential school for Mental Health in Rockhampton and wanted to provide some feedback as I know it is valued. I very rarely provide feedback as I worry it may be interpreted in a wrong way and disadvantage me in my studies, if it is not necessarily “good” feedback. In these past 2 days I have had the honour of learning from Shunil, who confirmed for me that Mental Health is the type of care I want to specialise in. 3 years ago I completed my Diploma of Nursing and ever since, I have known Mental Health is my passion (which Shunil may of picked up on). Shunil over these past 2 days helped me see things in a new light, previously when disclosing that Mental Health is my interest I have been told “it’s a waste” and “you will lose all your clinical skills if you go into that speciality” which made me have a lot of self doubt. In saying this, I now see that this isn’t the case and it is still very much an important part of nursing. Shunil valued everyone’s inputs, thought processes, ideas and emotions in all aspects of his teaching. I never felt uncomfortable or like I wasn’t heard, Mental Health can be quite a touchy subject and he ensured to check in often to ensure no one felt offended. I want to thank you Shunil for this, for hearing us and giving us a space to have open and honest communication. I hope to one day learn again from you.
Unit Coordinators will continue to apply evidence-informed diverse teaching, learning and assessment philosophies and methods that are person-centred/student focused and culturally sensitive to enhance individual students' motivation, commitment and ability to complete all the unit assessments and meet the set learning outcomes.
Feedback from SUTE
I feel happy thinking about mental health unit, I didn't feel pressure of any kind. I learned new things without any fear of passing or failing the unit. Emails from the unit coordinators were so humble and personalised. I felt valued. Thank you for taking care of our mental health as well. Appreciate your efforts. The Unit Coordinators have been so supportive and made this unit a valuable experience for me. They are RNs that I will remember throughout my career as they helped inspire me. The mental health placement was my most impactful placement by far and has changed my future aspirations.
Mental health nurse academics will continue to ensure their practice is humanistic, trauma-informed, recovery orientated, culturally sensitive and aligns with evidence-informed distinct mental health nursing philosophy to prepare graduate nurses with scope-specific mental health nursing theoretical knowledge and practice skills.
- Discuss why mental health is a national health priority in Australia, including the mental health of people with physical illness and the physical health of people with mental illness.
- Appraise holistic nursing approaches to assessment, planning, implementation, to support mental health consumers and their carers, including the evaluation of outcomes.
- Examine how nurses can support people experiencing stress and distress in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
- Apply a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
Content in this unit incorporates a number of professional nursing requirements
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Decision-Making Framework (DMF) - Nursing
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice
Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships
Maintains the capability for practice
Comprehensively conducts assessments
Develops a plan for nursing practice
Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice
Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Nursing Code of Conduct
Legal compliance
Person-centred practice
Cultural practice and respectful relationships
Professional behaviour
Research in health
Health and wellbeing
International Council of Nursing Code of Ethics for Nursing
Nurses and People
Nurses and Practice
Nurses and the Profession
Nurses and co-workers
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
Clinical governance
Partnering with consumers
Preventing and Controlling healthcare-associated infection
Medication safety
Comprehensive care
Communicating for safety
Recognising and responding to acute deterioration
Patient Safety Competency Framework
Person-centred care
Therapeutic communication
Cultural competence
Teamwork and collaborative practice
Clinical reasoning
Evidence-based practice
Preventing, minimising and responding to adverse events
Infection prevention and control
Medication safety
Aged Care Quality Standards
Consumer dignity and choice
Ongoing assessment and planning with consumer
Personal care and clinical care
Services and supports for daily living
Organisation’s service environment
Feedback and complaints
Human resources
Organisational governance
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 60% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Academic Learning Centre services
- CQUniversity library literature search tools
- Wordprocessing, spreadsheeting and powerpoint software
- Zoom account (Free)
- CQUniveristy Library Resources
- Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
- CQUniversity Library Nursing/Midwifery/Social Work Resources
- Australian Standards (through CQU library)
- CQUniversity Library Search engines for research
- Endnote bibliographic software. This is optional for formatting references Microsoft Word
- Zoom app on your smart phone or access to Zoom on your laptop Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
c.t.barnard@cqu.edu.au
m.vanlaarhoven@cqu.edu.au
a.paterno@cqu.edu.au
j.mulvogue@cqu.edu.au
j.hocking@cqu.edu.au
r.batterbee@cqu.edu.au
g.geller@cqu.edu.au
l.jackson@cqu.edu.au
m.d.prance@cqu.edu.au
t.j.bell@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Mental health and wellbeing in context: Beyond the diagnosis
Chapter
Review the Moodle site and click on all the links.
Find out what is in Student Support?
Find out who your Unit Coordinators are and how to contact them?
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded presentations:
Welcome and Unit Introduction.
Weekly lecture broken down into Snapshots contained in your learning material.
Workshop recording.
Assessments: Review the assessment tasks and make a study plan.
Foundations of Academic Integrity Program: Complete your annual program.
Announcements and Discussion Forums: Check for posts and updates.
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
The journey from biomedical to recovery-oriented nursing
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 1 - Start preparing your assessment and begin searching for literature.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Adopting a trauma-informed approach
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Census Date is next week. If you are struggling, please contact your Unit Coordinator for help.
Assessment 1 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Essential mental health skills for all nurses
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Census Date – Tuesday Week 4
Assessment 1 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
The importance of self-care in nursing
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 1 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Responding to challenging situations
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments.
Assessment 1 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Vacation week
Chapter
Please use this mid-term break as an opportunity to rest and recover. Enjoy your break!
Events and Submissions/Topic
No timetabled learning activities. Please use this week to progress your assessments.
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing addiction in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 2 - Start preparing your assessment and begin searching for literature.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Case Study Due: Week 7 Wednesday (29 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing psychosis in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 2 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing anxiety in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 2 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing mood disorders in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments
Assessment 2 - Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing personality disorders in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation survey – We encourage you to provide feedback on your unit and teaching experiences. The survey opens in Week 11 and closes one week before the release of grades.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Caring for patients experiencing eating disorders in general ward settings
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom – Workshop and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation survey – Please complete the unit evaluation survey.
Congratulations on completing this unit - Don’t forget to check your unit enrolments for next term.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Written Assessment Due: Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
There are no exams or classes this week.
Chapter
There are no readings or activities in Moodle this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Student email – Classes may be over but it is still important to check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
There are no exams or classes this week.
Chapter
There are no readings or activities in Moodle this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Student email – Classes may be over but it is still important to check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
As this unit is offered both online and face-to-face, students are asked to prepare their own individual study plan to undertake self-led and self-directed study throughout the term. A key to your success is a strategic self-directed approach to learning and regular contact with your Unit Coordinators. Please check the Announcements and Discussion forums at least twice a week - there will be regular announcements about assessments and unit resources through the term, and reviewing this information is essential to unit knowledge and your success. CQUniversity communicates with students through the CQUniversity email. We recommend checking your email at least twice a week so you don't miss vital information about your studies.
1 Case Study
Task description
You will complete a written case study to demonstrate your ability to understand key mental health nursing concepts introduced in the unit and explain their significance in general healthcare settings.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. No Generative AI use is permitted in the completion of this assignment. You must not use AI tools or technology to produce substantive content. You are permitted to use technology or tools that assist with spelling, grammar or formatting.
Level of GenAI Use Allowed: Level 2 (AI planning) whcih means Gen AI content editing and proofreading, and checking spelling and grammar. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
Extensions:
Extenxions for this assessment are available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period may apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
- You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
- In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 7 Wednesday (29 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only.
Week 10 Wednesday (20 May 2026)
You will receive a notification once grades ahve been released.
Assessment criteria will be available on the Moodle site.
- Discuss why mental health is a national health priority in Australia, including the mental health of people with physical illness and the physical health of people with mental illness.
- Appraise holistic nursing approaches to assessment, planning, implementation, to support mental health consumers and their carers, including the evaluation of outcomes.
- Examine how nurses can support people experiencing stress and distress in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
- Apply a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
2 Written Assessment
Task description
You will complete a written case study to demonstrate your ability to understand key mental health nursing concepts introduced in the unit and explain their significance in general healthcare settings.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. No Generative AI use is permitted in the completion of this assignment. You must not use AI tools or technology to produce substantive content. You are permitted to use technology or tools that assist with spelling, grammar or formatting.
Level of GenAI Use Allowed: Level 2 (AI planning) whcih means Gen AI content editing and proofreading, and checking spelling and grammar. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
Extensions:
Extenxions for this assessment are available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period may apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
- You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
- In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only.
Wednesday 24th June 2026. You will receive a notification once grades ahve been released.
Assessment criteria will be available on the Moodle site.
- Discuss why mental health is a national health priority in Australia, including the mental health of people with physical illness and the physical health of people with mental illness.
- Appraise holistic nursing approaches to assessment, planning, implementation, to support mental health consumers and their carers, including the evaluation of outcomes.
- Examine how nurses can support people experiencing stress and distress in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
- Apply a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
