This course is designed to further develop students’ advanced knowledge and skills for obtaining and recording a systematic health history and advanced physical and mental state examination of individuals and families across the lifespan. The course involves the synthesis of nursing, biological, psychological, and socio-cultural knowledge and theories as applied to mental health nursing. The central objective is the development of cognitive and clinical skills necessary for obtaining a comprehensive health history of individuals on admission. The course will emphasise the use of nursing process to assess the complex factors that affect the health of the individual requiring admission to hospital. Students will also be trained in the use of various valid and reliable measures (e.g. the Kavannagh–Goldberg–Vaughan (KGV) scale; Krawiecka et al, 1977) and need (e.g. the Camberwell Assessment of Need; Phelan et al, 1995).
The aim of this course is to equip students with communication skills including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) application to nursing practice in general and particularly to community mental health nursing. The content includes theories for analysing communications in nursing, developing effective modes of communication in mental health nursing, using effective communication in the care of the mentally ill, challenges to effective communication in mental health nursing and documentation including Mental Health Information System (MHIS).
The course aims at enabling students to understand the various theoretical perspectives that underpin the work of the community mental health nurse. The content will include the ecological systems, interpersonal models and their application to community mental health nursing. The content will also include the role of the community mental health nurse and the principles of community care.
This course will provide students with an in-depth exploration of community health nursing concepts and principles from a population health care perspective. The course will focus on the historical development of community health nursing. Course content will include historical perspective, various definitions of community and systems, stress vulnerability model, living in the community with mental health problems. The changing needs of an increasing multi-culturally diverse population within the socio-economic context of community systems are examined. Also, the concepts of Primary Health Care and Community-based Health Planning and Services will be discussed
Objectives of the Programme
The B.Sc. Community Mental Health Nursing programme is expected to achieve the following
demonstrate understanding of current Mental Health knowledge, concepts and issues that influence the delivery of Community Mental Health Careassess Mental Health profiles of individuals, families, and communitiesmanage Mental Health conditions in the community, and refer where necessarygather, analyse, present and maintain data and information that informs evidence based health care in the communityapply the legal, ethical and human rights principles in operations of the Community Mental Health Nurse evaluate and report on community mental health programmes
Graduates of Community mental health work in all areas requiring mental health nursing expertise. These include Mental Health Authority, Ghana Health Service, the Teaching hospitals (Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital among others), private and mission health facilities and teaching in diploma and certificate awarding health training institutions. Other avenues for employment include industry-based health facilities, health research institutions, health related NGO’s and public and private universities
Entry Requirements:
All professional certificate and tertiary level diploma holders must have either G.C.E. “O” Level credit passes in English Language and Mathematics or SSSCE/WASSCE credit passes in English Language and Core Mathematics.
Applicants must be Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMN), with a minimum work experience of not less than three years. They must have studied at a certificate or a diploma level at a recognised Nursing Training College (NTC). Applicants must have an active registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Applicants would be required to pass a written test followed by an interview. Candidates who are offered admission must complete a health check and provide satisfactory references.
The 4-week course is completed during the long vacation at the completion of the second semester of the 200 level. It begins with one week classroom orientation and demonstrations, as needed in the laboratory. The students will afterwards be rotated to the following: Recovery Ward, EENT Ward, and Adult Wards. Students will to spend eight (8) hours daily on the ward under the supervision of nurse technicians and clinicians. Technical skill demonstrations will be done by clinicians as necessary with return demonstrations by students.
This course is an introduction to community health nursing. Types of communities and the characteristics of healthy communities will be discussed. The Millennium Development Goals will provide an organizing focus to the discussion of health promotion and health maintenance strategies that promote healthy lifestyles for individuals, families and communities.
The rationale of the course is to equip students with skills that will enable them access and retrieve information in the traditional, hybrid and digital libraries. Students will be able to use ICT efficiently and effectively when they have basic knowledge of computers. The course content include: Types of libraries, library resources and their uses, the role the library plays in the academic community, introduction to computers, the internet.
This course will examine selected cognitive, behavioural and social learning theories used to enhance individual, family and community health behaviours. Principles of teaching and learning for individuals at any stage of the lifespan will be examined. Teaching strategies for individuals and groups will be discussed and opportunities to apply course content with a focus on changing individual behaviour will be provided.