BNurs Children's Nursing

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Mental Health and Mental Ill Health in Children and Young People

Course unit fact file
Unit code NURS23102
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This second-year discovery unit enables students from any field to explore the promotion of children and young people’s mental health, and the assessment and care of children and young people with mental health conditions.

Through a variety of teaching and learning methods, it will provide students with appropriate knowledge and skills to work in clinical and public health environments that focus on children and young people’s mental health, or to care for children and young people with mental health conditions in mainstream children’s services.

 

Aims

This unit aims to:
  • Introduce students to the issues surrounding mental health and mental ill-health in children and young people
  • Provide students with sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to work in clinical and public health environments focussing on children and young people’s mental health or to care for children and young people with mental health conditions in mainstream children’s services
 

Learning outcomes

Each learning outcome is linked to the NMC (2018) Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. These outcomes are also met within the core part of the programme.

Teaching and learning methods

The aims and learning outcomes for this unit focus on the following central themes: 
a) Key concepts in children and young people's mental health 
b) The policy context for organisation and delivery of children and young people's mental health services 
c) Understanding the assessment, diagnosis and treatment options in common mental health conditions in children and young people 
d) Risk and risk management in children and young people's mental health 
The teaching and learning methods used include lectures, tutorials and practical 
workshops based on patient centred scenarios developed in collaboration with clinical 
colleagues and service users. The patient centred case scenarios guide students to develop insight into the experiences of the patient, carers, and professional teams involved in the scenario. 
 
Assessment 
The formative assessment involves small mixed field group presentations that are based on the assessment and planning of care for a specific condition (chosen from a pre-determined list) in children and young people’s mental health. Students will be offered verbal tutor and peer feedback using a structured template. 
For the summative assessment, students will be given three case scenarios in advance and asked to choose one. The student will write a 2,000 word (+/- 10%) essay-style written assignment outlining the skills needed to assess the child/young person in the scenario they have chosen, the potential interventions available and the evidence base for those interventions.

Knowledge and understanding

  • Discriminate between key concepts such as mental health, mental wellbeing, emotional welling, mental health problems and mental ill-health/illness (2.1;2.5).
  • Describe the key mental health conditions/disorders that bring children and young people into contact with mental health or mainstream child health services (3.3; 4,4; 4.10).
  • Appreciate the socio-political and economic factors that influence the mental health of children and young people and the provision of services for this group (2.3; 2.7).

Intellectual skills

  • Critically evaluate the impact that the stigma surrounding mental health can have on children and young people (1.4; 1.14).
  • Critically evaluate the range of mental health treatments and interventions available to children and young people and the evidence base for each (1.8; 3.3; 4.4; 4.14).
  • Critically explore the role of the nurse in supporting and promoting children and young people's mental health (1.8; 2.4; 2.5; 2.10).

 

Practical skills

  • Demonstrate the particular skills needed to assess children and young people for potential mental health problems and accurately process this information to formulate a person centred, evidence based plan of care (1.11; 1.12; 4.4; 6.5).
  • Demonstrate emergent skills in assessing an individual's capacity to make decisions about their own care or give/withhold consent.
  • Act confidently and competently in dealing with psychiatric emergencies in children and young people (3.8; 4.4; 4.10; 4.12).
  • Appreciate the importance of interdisciplinary working in children and young people's mental health (1.18; 3.14; 4.17; 5.4; 7.1).

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Communicate effectively with children and young people, their parents, carers and families, and the wide range of professionals working with children and young people  (1.11; 4.3; 2.10).
  • Actively support children and young people, their parents, carers and families to self manage their conditions where appropriate (1.13; 2.9).
  • Facilitate co-production of care in children and young people’s mental health (3.4; 3.13; 4.2; 7.8).

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Students will receive feedback on their, and their mixed-field group’s, progress in a variety of ways. Feedback may be automated (as in an online quiz), face-to-face and verbal (as in the workshops, or following the formative group presentation) or in written form (as after the summative assignment). It may be given on an individual or group basis and may be provided by peers and service users as well as the unit’s tutors.

Recommended reading

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 20
Lectures 8
Practical classes & workshops 12
Tutorials 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 40

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Steven Pryjmachuk Unit coordinator

Return to course details