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 are also supported to develop strategies to manage the behavioural challenges you may encounter 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: Must be enrolled in the Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry).
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 2 - 2025
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 Postgraduate 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.
- Investigate 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.
- Create a nursing approach to biophysical and psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to support mental health consumers and their carers.
- Examine how nurses can manage the behavioural challenges exhibited by stressed and distressed people in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
- Advocate for recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
- Debate ethical, legal and professional issues that may influence the therapeutic relationship 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 consumers
Personal care and clinical care
Services and supports for daily living
Organisation’s service environment
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Poster Sessions - 60% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
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.hungerford@cqu.edu.au
j.mulvogue@cqu.edu.au
d.blanchard@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
What is mental health?
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
The history of mental health and mental health nursing
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Stigma and the care of people with mental illness
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Trauma in mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Recovery approaches in mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Therapeutic connections and nurse self care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Case Study
Due Wednesday 27th August, 2025 at 1600 hrs.
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Analysis of Case Studies Due: Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Psychosis and mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Anxiety and mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Mood disorders and mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Eating disorders and mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Addiction and mental health care
Legislation and rights in mental health care
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Module/Topic
Mental health first aid and reflections
Chapter
Please read articles in e-reading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Poster Session
Due Wednesday 8th October 2025 1600 hrs.
Develop a professional poster and audiovisual presentation of the poster.
Weighting: 50%
Tutorial Zoom
Please ensure you have completed the weekly content, read the relevant chapter, and reviewed the PowerPoint before attending this session.
This session is a discussion and Q&A related to the content required to address the learning outcomes of this unit.
Poster Due: Week 12 Wednesday (8 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Assessments are due in week 6 and week 12
- The Unit Coordinator is Dr Jen Mulvogue
- The generic email for this unit is NURS28007@cqu.edu.au
1 Case Study
Unit Code: NURS28007
Unit Title: Mental Healthcare in Nursing
Assessment 1
Type: Case Study
Due date: 4 pm (AEST) Wednesday 27th August 2025 (Week 6)
Extensions: Available as per policy
The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment
Return date: Wednesday 17th September 2025.
Weighting: 40%
Length: 2,500 words +/- 10% (excluding reference list)
Unit Coordinator/s: Dr Jen Mulvogue
Learning Outcomes Assessed
1. Investigate 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.
2. Create a nursing approach to biophysical and psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to support mental health consumers and their carers.
3. Examine how nurses can manage the behavioural challenges exhibited by stressed and distressed people in diverse settings and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
4. Advocate for recovery-orientated, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
5. Debate ethical, legal and professional issues that may influence the therapeutic relationship with mental health consumers and carers.
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to critically investigate mental health as a health priority in Australia and how you, as a registered nurse, would assess, plan, implement and evaluate the biophysical and psychosocial requirements of a consumer in distress while advocating a recovery-orientated, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approach to care. You will deliberate the legal, ethical and professional issues that may influence the therapeutic relationship between yourself and the consumer and their carer or networks.
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit's Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
1. 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.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) and Level 3 (AI Collaboration) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
b. Gen AI content editing.
c. Checking spelling and grammar.
d. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
3. Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
c. You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
This assessment has a minimum pass grade of 50%.
Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Please submit to Moodle
Week 9 Wednesday (17 Sept 2025)
Students will receive an email when the assessment is released
Marking Criteria
Please see the unit Moodle site for the marking criteria
No submission method provided.
- Investigate 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.
- Create a nursing approach to biophysical and psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to support mental health consumers and their carers.
- Examine how nurses can manage the behavioural challenges exhibited by stressed and distressed people in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
- Advocate for recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally safe approaches when collaborating with mental health consumers and carers.
- Debate ethical, legal and professional issues that may influence the therapeutic relationship with mental health consumers and carers.
2 Poster Sessions
Unit Code: NURS28007
Unit Title: Mental Healthcare in Nursing
Assessment 2
Type: Poster Sessions
Due date: 4 pm (AEST) Wednesday 8th October 2025 (Week 12)
Extensions: Available as per policy
The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment
Return date: Wednesday 29th October 2025
Weighting: 60%
Length: One (1) A2 or A3-sized MS Word or PowerPoint slides
Unit Coordinator/s: Dr Jen Mulvogue
Learning Outcomes Assessed
1. Investigate why mental health is a national health priority in Australia, including the mental health of people with physical illness and physical health of people with mental illness.
2. Create a nursing approach to biophysical and psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to support mental health consumers and their carers.
3. Examine how nurses can manage the behaviour challenges exhibited by stressed and distressed people in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to develop a poster presentation examining the significance of serious mental illness and physical multimorbidity, visible in academic literature, policy documents, mental health nursing guidelines, and national strategies. Your poster will include a detailed infograph demonstrating the complexity of working with consumers who have both complex mental health and physical complex needs, the complexity of biophysical and psychosocial care and the importance of nurse self-care.
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit's Moodle site' only,
Academic Integrity
1. 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.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) and Level 3 (AI Collaboration) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
b. Gen AI content editing.
c. Checking spelling and grammar.
d. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
3. Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
c. You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
This assessment has a minimum pass grade of 49.5%.
Week 12 Wednesday (8 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Please submit to Moodle in the assessment tile
Exam Week Wednesday (22 Oct 2025)
Students will receive an email when the assessments are returned.
Marking criteria
Please see the unit Moodle site for the marking criteria
No submission method provided.
- Investigate 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.
- Create a nursing approach to biophysical and psychosocial assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to support mental health consumers and their carers.
- Examine how nurses can manage the behavioural challenges exhibited by stressed and distressed people in diverse settings, and develop self-care strategies to manage work-related stress.
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?
