Each year, you study both theory and clinical practice modules. Theory modules are taught through lectures, seminars, workshops, clinical skills training, experiential learning sessions, field visits, and protected study time. These modules are taken at the university during blocks of study weeks throughout each year of the course.
Clinical practice modules require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospital, community and other mental health settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. In year 4, you take a number of theory modules at UCC in period one (before Christmas). In period two (after Christmas), you undertake a 36-week paid internship with your parent health service provider.
Theory modules include nursing modules and also biological and social science modules, some of which are core (shared with students from other nursing/midwifery branches), while others are discipline-specific (taken by Psychiatric Nursing students only). In year 4, you may also take some elective modules.
Overview of Module Content:
Year 1:
- Fundamentals of nursing practice
- Knowledge and skills for professional practice
- Academic writing and information technology
- Developing hope inspiring relationships
- Mental health recovery
- Creative therapies
- Self-awareness
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Psychiatric nursing practice.
Year 2:
- Nursing research
- Pharmacology and drug therapy
- Nursing with people through crisis
- Therapeutic relationships (communication and self-awareness)
- Social justice and mental health
- Applied nutrition
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Psychiatric nursing practice.
Year 3
- Teaching and learning
- Development of knowledge for nursing practice
- Evidence-based practice
- Health promotion
- Primary health care in mental health
- Politics, policy and practice of mental health nursing
- Working with children, adolescents and older adults with mental health problems
- Working therapeutically with individuals and groups
- Psychiatric nursing practice.
Year 4
- Research for evidence based psychiatric nursing
- The profession and discipline of psychiatric nursing
- Leadership and therapeutic team working skills
- Working with vulnerable populations
- Psychiatric nursing practice.
In this year, you can also take an elective module depending on your particular interests. A variety of choices is available as outlined in the University Undergraduate Calendar.
The broad aim of the course is to promote your personal, intellectual and professional development to meet the role dimensions of a qualified practitioner of Psychiatric Nursing.
See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the Programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of Programme Modules.
