In an effort to strengthen the skills of nurses caring for people with complex mental health challenges, Fanshawe College has created a new online graduate program.
Starting this fall, the college will begin offering the Mental Health Nursing certificate program as a part-time, online program to accommodate practising RNs and RPNs. To complete the entire program would take approximately two years, however, the program has been created in a flexible way to accommodate the work schedules of practicing nurses.
"Throughout the courses, we have a human rights and social justice foundation, so there will be a lot of conversations about trauma in informed care... there are courses on addiction, substance [use], law and ethics... and there's a course on safe spaces," said Sarah Benbow, a professor at Fanshawe's School of Nursing, who helped develop the program.
Requests from the health care community, professional practice leaders and practicing nurses spurred Fanshawe to create the program, which will assist nurses who are caring for an increasing number of individuals living with complex mental health challenges.
"What we kept hearing from our practice partners, our practice leaders, our front line nurses and community members was that there was this real need that [registered nurses and registered practical nurses] were wanting more information, more knowledge, more skills, more resources in supporting people who have mental health challenge to meet their needs," said Benbow.
The certificate program was developed with close consultation with community partners and will help nurses develop a deeper awareness of systemic issues and how to respond to them. It will also further skills surrounding mental health promotion and treatment of mental illness.
"We really tried to be comprehensive and really understand what the needs and wants were so we could best respond," said Benbow.
For more information about the program, click here.
