Theories relevant to family therapy, individual psychotherapy and crisis intervention will be examined. This course focuses on the advanced practice psychiatric nurse's role in the delivery of primary mental health care with an emphasis on promotion of optimum mental health, the prevention of mental illness, health maintenance, and preventing new occurrences of mental illness. Theories relevant to group therapy interventions and consultation will be examined. The advanced practice nursing student will develop interventions and programs that decrease or reduce stressors and maximize mental health for individuals and communities. In this capstone course the advanced practice psychiatric nursing role is further developed as the learner integrates psychiatric theory and practice skills while intervening with the chronic mentally ill in the rural community.
Emphasis is on combining psychotherapeutic, pharmacological, and alternative therapeutic approaches.
This is an intensive clinical internship which prepares students to practice in the role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner. The focus is on integration of biopsychosocial theory with practice. The student will deliver comprehensive holistic primary mental health care to clients across the life span, including assessment and diagnosis and will differentiate the medical problems that mimic psychiatric disorders. Additionally, clinical experiences will include ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic studies. Comprehensive medication management of psychiatric clients will include an in-depth knowledge of psychotropics, prescription of medications and monitoring the efficacy of this intervention.