CQUniversity Unit Profile

NURS28007 - Mental Healthcare in Nursing

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All details in this unit profile for NURS28007 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.

General Information

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

Career Level: Postgraduate

Unit Level: Level 8

Credit Points: 6

Student Contribution Band: 7

Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

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 - 2026

Online

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).

Website

This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.

Class and Assessment Overview

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

Regional Campuses

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville

Metropolitan Campuses

Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Case Study

Weighting: 40%

2. Poster Sessions

Weighting: 60%

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.

CQUniversity Policies

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.

Previous Student Feedback

Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

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 Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes

N/A Level

Introductory Level

Intermediate Level

Graduate Level

Professional Level

Advanced Level

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 - First Nations Knowledges
9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:

CQUniversity Student Email
Internet
Unit Website (Moodle)

Referencing Style

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.

Teaching Contacts

Robert Batterbee Unit Coordinator
r.batterbee@cqu.edu.au

Schedule

Week 1

Begin Date: 13 Jul 2026

Module/Topic

What is mental health?

Chapter

Review the Moodle site and click on all the links.

Please read articles in e-reading list

Review activities in Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Recorded Presentations
Welcome & Unit Introduction

Activity
Access the General Discussion page and introduce yourself to your colleagues by providing your name and maybe why you are studying this unit and course.

Tutorial
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.

Drop in Session
Please join the drop-in session if you have any questions or would like to discuss the material further.

Foundations of Academic Integrity Program: Complete your annual program.

Announcements, Discussion Forums and Student Emails: Check for posts and updates.

Week 2

Begin Date: 20 Jul 2026

Module/Topic

The history of mental health and mental health nursing

Chapter

Please read articles in e-reading list

Review activities in Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Recorded Presentations
Week 2 Lecture
Assessments:
Review assessments and begin an assignment plan
Tutorial
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.
Drop in Session
The drop in sessions are on alternate weeks, therefore there is no session this week.

Week 3

Begin Date: 27 Jul 2026

Module/Topic

Stigma and the care of people with mental illness

Chapter

Please read articles in e-reading list

Review activities in Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Events and Submissions/Topic

Chapter

No readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Enjoy your break

Vacation/Exam Week

Begin Date: 19 Oct 2026

Module/Topic

There is no scheduled examination for this unit

Chapter

No readings

Events and Submissions/Topic

Enjoy your break

Term Specific Information

As this unit is offered online, 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 Coordinator/s. Please check the Announcements and Discussion forums at least twice a week – there will be regular announcements about assessments and unit resources throughout the term and reviewing this information is essential to unit knowledge and your success. CQUniversity communicates with students through CQUniversity email. We recommend that you access your CQUniversity email at least twice a week so that you do not miss vital information about your studies.

Assessment Tasks

1 Case Study

Assessment Title

Analysis of Case Studies

Task Description

You will 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.

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.
The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
Checking spelling and grammar.
CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
Any use of Gen AI software:
Must be cited in the relevant sections.
Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.

Extensions: Extensions to 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

Assessment Due Date

Week 6 Wednesday (19 Aug 2026) 4:00 pm AEST

Please submit to Moodle

Return Date to Students

Week 8 Wednesday (9 Sept 2026)

Students will receive an email when the assessment is released

Weighting

40%

Minimum mark or grade

Assessment Criteria

Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.

Referencing Style

American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

Submission

Online

Submission Instructions

Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

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

Assessment Title

Poster Session

Task Description

You will develop a poster presentation examining the significance of serious mental illness and physical multimorbidity, evident in academic literature, policy documents, mental health nursing guidelines, and national strategies. Your poster will include a detailed poster 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.

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.
The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
Checking spelling and grammar.
CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
Any use of Gen AI software:
Must be cited in the relevant sections.
Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.

Extensions: Extensions to 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.

Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Wednesday (7 Oct 2026) 4:00 pm AEST

Please submit to Moodle in the assessment tile

Return Date to Students

Vacation/Exam Week Wednesday (21 Oct 2026)

Students will receive an email when the assessments are returned.

Weighting

60%

Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria will be available on the Moodle site.

Referencing Style

American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

Submission

Online

Submission Instructions

Submit to Moodle in the assessment tile

Learning Outcomes Assessed

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.

Academic Integrity Statement

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.

Overview

Details

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Offerings For Term 2 - 2026

Attendance Requirements

Website

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Class Timetable

Assessment Overview

Assessment Grading

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Textbooks

IT Resources

Week 1

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation/Exam Week

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

1 Case Study

2 Poster Sessions

What is a breach of academic integrity?

Why is academic integrity important?

Where can I get assistance?

What can you do to act with integrity?