NURS2004 Mental Health Nursing Assessment 1: Essay

Overview

Assignment 1 is a 3000-word written essay. It is worth 60% of the overall course grade. 

The aim of this assignment is to critically apply contemporary nursing care concepts to a lived experience case study, focusing on recovery principles and historical influences in mental health care.

Through analysing a lived experience case study, you will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and strengths associated with mental health conditions, and of how to provide person-centred, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented care.

Due Date: Week 6, Tuesday 8 September 2026 @ 5 pm (ACST)

Weighting: 60% of your final course grade 

Word Requirement: 3,000 words 

Course Learning Outcomes 

Assignment 1 is designed to demonstrate your learning and achievement of the following Course Learning Outcomes:

• CLO1. Describe the bio-psycho-social, cultural and historical factors that shape the conceptualisation of mental health, mental illness and mental health care

• CLO2. Identify the statutory regulations that apply to people experiencing serious mental illness including legal and ethical aspects of mental health care

• CLO3. Explain how recovery values and attitudes and strengths-based approaches comprising of the principles of quality, safety and risk management to inform contemporary person-centred mental health nursing care, including self-care for clinicians

• CLO5. Apply pathophysiological knowledge of mental health conditions to differentiate between the clinical presentations to inform nursing care and clinical decision making in responding to the mental health needs of a person.

Aim

The purpose of this assignment is for you to:

• Integrate theory and practice (bridge theoretical knowledge from the course with practical application through the analysis of a lived experience case study)

• Critically analyse (develop critical thinking and analysis of stigmatising attitudes, legal and ethical issues and their impact on patient care and recovery)

• Identify symptoms and strengths (identify and understand common symptoms of mental health challenges and recognise patient strengths, promoting a holistic approach to care)

• Apply standards (demonstrate how the Australian Registered Nurse Standards of Practice and relevant nursing codes inform safe, quality nursing and mental health care)

• Apply reflective practice (foster reflective practice by evaluating personal learning and development throughout the course, enhancing future professional practice in mental health nursing)

Marking criteria 

The tutor will assess the depth and quality of your analytical engagement with the consumer’s scenario, focusing on the rationale and how effectively you apply the course concepts, such as historical influences, stigmatising events, and applying a biopsychosocial framework and associated engagement approaches. Marks will reflect your ability to justify and interpret historical influences and stigmatising events, the consumer's situation and presentation, integrate strengthened, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and person-centred principles, and demonstrate optimal clinical reasoning in evaluating the professional's and consumer's situation, well-being, and care needs.

Clear organisation, logical flow, and professional academic writing are essential. The students' analysis must demonstrate coherence, critical thinking, academic integrity, and appropriate use of the third-person voice in parts A and B, noting that part B can be included in first-person voice, where indicated student responses are to be supported by high-quality, credible evidence, and apply APA 7th edition referencing accurately and consistently.''

Please refer to the marking rubric Download marking rubric for detailed criteria.

Instructions

Assessment one: essay (written) has been divided into two parts (Part A and Part B) with subheadings. 

Students should have completed the weekly course topics, activities, and readings from Topics 1-4.   

Introduction (150 words, worth 5%)

• Provide a general introductory response about the assessment concepts and purpose.

• Outline the structure of the assessment, including the main points to be addressed

Important NOTE

The Introduction should be written in the third person and serves to introduce the topic, outline the purpose of the essay, and provide an overview of the discussion.

References are not required in the Introduction, providing there is no specific evidence, approaches, frameworks or data is presented or mentioned, as specific materials should be appropriately referenced.

Part A - Foundations of Mental Health Nursing (1,700 words, worth 50%)

A1. Historical context and contemporary mental health care (200 words, worth 10%) (CLO1)

You are required to

• IDENTIFY and name a specific era, period, or timeframe, including the relevant dates/years discussed in Warelow (2018) or Sands (2009)

-READ Warelow (2018) chapter (pages 2 to 22) in Edwards et al. eBook, which outlines the brief history of nurses' role in caring for the mentally ill in Australia and New Zealand (Aotearoa).

-READ Sands article (pages 364-371) on the brief history of mental health nursing in Victoria, Australia from 1848 to 1950's.

• DESCRIBE one historical practice, treatment, policy, or approach to care that was used during that specific era, period, or timeframe, and the influence it has had in shaping contemporary mental health care and/or mental health nursing practice today.

Note: Warelow (2018), chapter or Sands' (2009) article are located in key concept 1.1

A2. Stigmatising attitudes in mental health care (400 words, worth 10%) (CLO3)

After viewing the clinical handover video for your chosen lived-experience scenario, you need to evaluate the professional attitudes and behaviours expected of nurses when caring for a consumer experiencing a deterioration in their mental health by:

• IDENTIFY and DESCRIBE the stigmatising attitudes, language, and/or behaviours demonstrated by the registered nurse during the clinical handover.

• Briefly DISCUSS why these attitudes, language, and/or behaviours are considered stigmatising, the impact of this language and/or these attitudes and behaviours on the consumer's nursing care, wellbeing, and mental health recovery, including the consumer’s willingness to seek help, engage with treatment, and participate in recovery-oriented care.

A3. Symptoms of mental illness (300 words, weighting 10%) (CLO1, CLO5)

After reviewing the chosen consumer’s clinical documentation and video (Mark), you are required to move beyond simply identifying symptoms and risk factors and to consider how biological, psychological, social, and protective factors interact to influence a consumer’s mental health, wellbeing, and recovery by using a biopsychosocial framework and a strengths-based approach to:

• IDENTIFY the biological, psychological, and social factors affecting the consumer’s current mental health presentation

• ANALYSE how these biopsychosocial factors contribute to and influence the consumer’s mental health symptoms, behaviours, and challenges, as well as their current mental health status, functioning, and overall wellbeing.

A4. Principles of recovery in mental health and nursing practice (800 words, weighting 20%) (CLO2, CLO3, CLO5)

Applying the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia [NMBA] (2016; 2018) Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, Code of Conduct, and the International Council of Nurses [ICN] (2021) ethical and legal principles and guidance to a consumer’s lived experience scenario (Mark):

• DISCUSS the importance of pathophysiological knowledge of mental health conditions to differentiate between clinical presentations and inform assessment, clinical decision-making, legal and ethical nursing considerations and care for the consumer’s lived experience scenario to deliver safe, high-quality mental health nursing care which applies person-centred, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented approaches.

Important NOTE

Part A must be written in the third person and supported by academic references.

Students are encouraged to draw on relevant scholarly literature and course materials from Topics 1–4 to inform their discussion and support key responses and arguments.

All claims should be supported with appropriate evidence through accurate in-text citations and inclusion in the reference list, and ensuring that sources are credible, current, and relevant to the topic being addressed.

Part B - Reflection (1 000 words, worth 30%)

In this section of the essay, you will consider the ‘WHAT?’ and the ‘SO WHAT?’ from Borton’s Reflection model to initiate your reflection on your learning from the course.

B1. ‘WHAT?’ (Describe the process) (250 words, worth 10%) (CLO1)

In the second week of the course, you are required to complete the following task: Use Borton’s first step of the reflection cycle ('What?') and write a short reflective response on your initial knowledge and assumptions about mental health care and what you hope to learn.

Please see the Reflection Task ('What?') task page on how to complete and submit this part of this assessment

• Students are encouraged to insert the short reflective response from the Week 2 reflection activity under this subheading.

B2. ‘SO WHAT?’ (Think and analyse and then draw conclusions) (750 words, worth 20%) (CLO1, CLO3)

Your 'So What?' written reflection should demonstrate critical thinking by analysing the meaning and impact of your learning rather than simply describing what was taught in the last four topics.

Using the second stage of Borton’s Reflection Framework – So What? enables you to critically analyse and make meaning of the perspectives, beliefs, and/or assumptions you described in the ‘What?’ section of your reflection by moving beyond description and explore the significance of your learning. this is achieved by considering how the key concepts, theories, lived-experience perspectives, and learning activities encountered throughout the course have influenced your understanding of mental health, mental illness, and mental health nursing.

In your response, students may consider:

• The importance of your learning by discussing the mental health concepts, ideas, experiences, or course content that have been most significant in shaping their understanding of mental health, mental illness, the lived experience of mental ill health, and/or mental health nursing.

• Reflect on what they have learned and analyse how this learning has influenced their understanding of people experiencing mental health challenges and the role of nurses in supporting recovery.

• Compare their previous understanding with their current understanding, identifying what was different from what they knew, believed, or assumed before commencing this course and undertaking the last four topics, has their perspectives, beliefs, and/or assumptions identified in the ‘What?’ stage, have been challenged, reinforced, confirmed, or changed through your learning experiences and undertaking to course content.

• The significance of this new understanding and explain how it has impacted their thinking about mental health care, recovery-oriented practice, stigma, person-centred care, lived experience, and mental health nursing.

• Identify areas where they still require further knowledge, understanding, or skill development, and why their continued learning in these areas is important for their future nursing practice.

Below are some questions to guide your 'So What' reflection:

• So, what is the importance of this learning?

• So, what have I learned about mental health, mental illness, recovery, stigma, lived experience, or mental health nursing?

• So, what was different from what I knew, believed, or assumed previously?

• So, what beliefs or assumptions have been challenged, confirmed, or changed?

• So, what new insights have I gained?

• So, what does this learning mean for my future nursing practice?

• So, what more do I need to know, understand, or learn?

Student are required to linking the ‘What?’ and ‘So What?’ stages, as the ‘So What?’ stage should directly build upon the perspectives, beliefs and/or assumptions you discussed in the ‘What?’ reflection. Consider:

• Have your views changed? If so, how and why?

• What course content or experiences contributed to this change?

• What new insights have you gained?

• How has your understanding of people living with mental illness and the role of mental health nurses become more informed, compassionate, or recovery-oriented?

The focus of this section is on analysis, interpretation, and learning, demonstrating how your understanding has developed and what meaning you have drawn from this learning experience.

Important NOTE

Part B is a reflective writing task and may be written in either the first person or third person, as appropriate.

References ARE NOT required in the 'What?' stage of Borton’s Framework for Reflection, as this section focuses on describing personal and/or professional events, experiences, or observations.

References ARE required in the 'So What?' stage of Borton’s Framework for Reflection. Students should support their reflective analysis and interpretation with relevant academic literature, course content, and evidence-based sources, ensuring that all sources used in the 'So What?' stage is appropriately cited within the text and included in the reference list according to the required referencing style.

Conclusion (150 words, worth 5%).

• Evaluate the main findings of the assessment.

• Include a statement reflecting your position or thoughts on the main topics.

• Only include ideas developed and supported in the body of the assignment.

Important NOTE

The Conclusion should be written in the third person and provide a concise summary of the key points discussed throughout the essay.

References ARE NOT required in the Conclusion.

Conclusion should synthesise the main findings and reinforce the overall message of the essay, therefore, NO new concepts, evidence, arguments, or information should be introduced at this stage.

Reference list and in-text referencing is to be include in the essay assessment submission, with all references MUST use APA 7 referencing style.

See below, for more information on referencing requirements.

Students’ Compliance with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2016) Standards 1.4 and 6.5

As a student nurse enrolled at the Adelaide University, you are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and practise within the South Australian healthcare context. Accordingly, you are required to demonstrate knowledge of, understand, and comply with all relevant South Australian legislation, professional standards, policies, and clinical guidelines that govern nursing practice and the provision of safe, evidence-based nursing care.

Important: Students may incur assessment penalties if they rely solely on health and mental health legislation, standards, or guidelines from jurisdictions other than South Australia without prior approval from their class tutor or a valid, documented reason.

For example, students who are currently living, residing, or completing their studies in/from another Australian jurisdiction (such as Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, or the Northern Territory) may, where appropriate, refer to legislation, policies and clinical guidelines that govern nursing practice applicable to their local jurisdiction. However, these sources must be clearly compared and contrasted with South Australian legislation and requirements to ensure relevance to the course context and to the jurisdiction in which the student nurse is registered with the NMBA.

This approach demonstrates compliance with NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice (2016), Standard 1.4, which requires nurses to understand and apply relevant legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines, and standards, and Standard 6.5, which requires nurses to practise in accordance with legislation, professional standards, and evidence-based guidelines to ensure safe and effective care.

Before submitting the essay, student should ensure that they have:

• Planned their response using the required essay structure and allocated the appropriate word count to each section to avoid overdeveloping one subheading at the expense of others.

• Kept their essay within the prescribed word limit (±10%). Exceeding or falling below this range may result in a grade penalty.

• Used the required Assessment 1 essay template Download Assessment 1 essay template.

• Applied appropriate academic language and discipline-specific terminology throughout the essay.

• Proofread and spell-checked their work to ensure clarity, accuracy, depth, detail, logical flow and nursing professionalism.

• Reviewed the marking rubric and addressed all assessment criteria.

• Supported their responses and arguments with appropriate, credible, and validated sources, preferably from the course reading list and resource materials.

• Included accurate in-text citations and a complete reference list in the required APA 7 referencing style.

• Checked that all references cited in the essay are included in the reference list, and that all sources in the reference list are cited within the essay.