Week 6 Activity 3 – Draft Online Design Plan

Course Title: Therapeutic Communication Skills in Mental Health

Description of Online Teaching and Learning Experience

This course prepares nursing students to communicate therapeutically while working with the mental health population. Mental health is prevalent in healthcare, and the likelihood of people with a mental illness being admitted to medical wards has increased (Avery et al., 2020).. Nurses must acquire specialized communication skills to provide holistic care. The virtual format offers an opportunity for student nurses to apply theory to practice in an online environment. 

Situational Factors

This course will consist of six third-semester nursing students per session to ensure each student has sufficient time to practice applying their skills and gather feedback. The course will run for two hours once a week for six weeks. Students will have the opportunity to review the theory, apply practical skills and end with a debrief. Mental health scenarios will be carried out by actors, providing students with the opportunity to strengthen their communication skills. Students in the program should be familiar with basic concepts in mental health and be emotionally ready to have enriching conversations that can be triggering for some individuals. The course can be anxiety-provoking; hence, it is not designed to penalize students for not speaking a particular way. Instead, it promotes a safe space to think critically, rationalize and try out new communication strategies that may or may not be effective. Instructors must be mental health nurses with at least two years of experience in the mental health field. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have learned strategies to converse in a shutdown interview. Students will have practiced how to de-escalate an agitated person verbally. Students will be able to assess a patient with schizophrenia who is actively preoccupied. Lastly, students can differentiate which non-verbal cues are used therapeutically and which cues they should refrain from. 

Online Assessment Strategy

Students will apply their practical skills through a virtual role-play simulation, followed by immediate feedback from peers and instructors. Additionally, students will write an APA paper on their goals worth 25%, write a midterm exam worth 30%, write a self-reflection paper worth 30%, actively participate in class discussion and provide peer feedback, worth 15%. 

Teaching and Learning Activities

• Review case study scenarios as a group to know what to expect in the simulation
• Discuss theory on content for the week by reviewing questions students answered at home with their pre-readings
• Participate in role-play simulation to practice the application of therapeutic communication skills
• Provide immediate feedback to students and expect students to provide feedback to their peers
• Complete course assignments consisting of academic papers and a midterm exam

Integration

The theory provides students with foundational knowledge on diagnosis, presentations and why specific communication skills are encouraged in different scenarios. The case studies will demonstrate an overall picture of the client’s presentation. The role-play simulations will allow students to apply theory to practice. Students will actively engage with actors acting as clients to become familiar with what a real-life situation can comprise. Assessments and feedback from peers and instructors will keep students on track to meet the learning outcomes. 

References

Avery, J., Schreier, A., & Swanson, M. (2020). A complex population: Nurse’s professional preparedness to care for medical-surgical patients with mental illness. Applied Nursing Research, 52. https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.1016/j.apnr.2020.151232

Dee Fink, L. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from “http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf”

Shea, S.C. (2017). Psychiatric interviewing: The art of understanding (3rd ed.). Elsevier.