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
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and 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
This was an exceptional unit both in the quality of teaching and the content. By far the most beneficial unit to my learning experience. Every aspect from the weekly content to the res school, assessment and placement was a powerful and needed insight into mental health nursing. It has forever changed my personal and professional mindset in the most positive ways. Thank you for giving me this learning opportunity!!!!
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 2-Day Residential Schools and SUTE
The learning material and residential school attached to this unit were valuable and well delivered. However, this unit is not enough to adequately prepare nurses to care for those with mental health concerns. I am disappointed that further content and written assessments were not included as part of learning for mental health. I believe this would have best been delivered as another unit. I am aware that post-graduate study is an option, but there are many nurses that will undertake this study and this will result in a lack of understanding and adequate care of patients that are suffering with mental illness. The small amount of time dedicated to mental health demonstrates that the university does not consider mental health to be a serious or worthwhile topic to educate their about. Unfortunately, this is reflected by the attitudes of nurses across the profession. It is unlikely to improve without a solid foundation of learning provided by universities throughout Australia.
Unit Coordinators will continue to develop and ensure the 2-Day Residential School and Moodle learning content, teaching and assessment methods are underpinned by current evidence-informed educationalist and mental health nursing theoretical knowledge and practice skills. The Bachelor of Nursing-Head of Course (BN-HOC)/School of Nursing & Midwifery executive will incorporate this feedback when planning and formulating the revised Bachelor Of Nursing (BN) degree curriculum.
Feedback from SUTE
[Unit Coordinator] was a fantastic facilitator and shared so openly his experiences with nursing. He checked in regularly while on placement and I felt very supported. He also contacted me once my placement was done to commend me on my feedback and ask me about my experience. I have never had this from any other university facilitator and it showed such wonderful personalisation and support.
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.
- 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
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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.
Module/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
Module/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.
Module/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?
