4 Year Nursing Degree Programme (BSc Cur)

NU2S05 Psychological Themes for Nurses (5 ECTS)

Learning Outcomes

Following completion of this module the student should be able to

• Describe, review, and critically evaluate themes, theories and research in areas of psychology most relevant to nursing, and apply these to inform and develop nursing practice
  
• Discuss the relationship between psychology and nursing, and communicate understanding of this relationship and its application
  
• Describe and use psychological skills (such as listening skills, team work, empathy, effective responses to anger and stress management) in the classroom setting and recognize how they can be integrated in clinical practice

Module Learning Aims

Building on the knowledge and skills students developed in ‘Introduction to Psychology’ in first year, this
module will provide the students with a further elaboration on themes in psychology relevant to nursing
in all disciplines. In comparison with the Introduction to Psychology in first year this module delves
deeper into psychology and is more specific in its applications. It prepares the student for the advanced
application of psychology to nursing practice (discipline specific) in third year.

• The role of psychology in the different nursing disciplines
  
• Theory and research in life-span development
  
• Aging
  
• Theories of sexuality, love and marriage
  
• Aspects of health psychology, such as health and illness cognitions and behaviours,
  
• Psychological theory applied to different types of illness (acute and chronic)
  
• The placebo effect
  
• Psychological interventions applied to the different nursing disciplines
  
• Stress, coping and stress management,
  
• Trauma and trauma interventions
  
• Psychology of pain
  
• Psychology of disability

Recommended Reading List

Essential Reading

• Journal articles on relevant topics (to be assigned)
  
• Ogden J. (2007) Health Psychology: a textbook, 4th edn. Open University Press, Maidenhead.
  
• Weiten W. (2008) Psyk.Trek 3.0: A Multimedia Introduction to Psychology, 3rd edn. Wadsworth, New York.
  

Recommended Reading

• Weiten W. (201) Psychology: Themes and Variations, Brief Edition, 8th edn. Wadsworth, New York. Rice P.L. (1999) Stress and Health, 3rd edn. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, Pacific Grove.
  
• Walker J., Payne S., Smith P. & Jarrett N. (2007). Psychology for nurses and the caring professions, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill / Open University Press, Maidenhead.
  
• Rana, D. & Upton, D. (2009) Psychology for Nurses. Pearson Education Ltd., Harlow (UK).
  
• Santrock J.W. (2008). Life-Span Development, 11nd edn. McGraw-Hill, Boston.
  

* Additional readings will be given for each unit of learning