Psychiatric Health Care and Nursing*

• Introduction to the Academic University Program and the Learning Environment
• Overview of the Curriculum and Semester Schedule
• The ECTS System and Workload Planning
• Team Building and Communication Guidelines for the Cohort
• Presentation of the HCW's Guide to AI Applications
• Overview of Common AI Tools Useful for Everyday Academic Life
• Data Protection Principles for Working with AI Tools

• Students establish targeted (cross-program) learning networks at the new learning location and define roles, communication channels, and collaboration rules within their cohort.

• Students analyze the curriculum and course structure, determine the workload and milestone schedule, and create a semester plan (ECTS equivalence, buffer time).

• Interactive Introductory Session
• Group Work / Team Building (across university programs, including Child and Youth Care)
• Peer Learning

Continuous assessment

• Historical development in the care and support of mentally ill people and its impact on today's conditions, lessons from history
• Normal vs. abnormal
• Self-assessment vs. external assessment
• Experiences with mental illness (in oneself, in the family, in the environment, in society)
• Society's treatment of people with mental illness, problem of stigma, stigma prevention
• Representation of people with mental illness in film, television, social media and press

• Students analyse their own perceptions of normality and abnormality, derive from them current criteria for the assessment of normal and abnormal behaviour; in doing so, they pay attention to the problem of stigma and present possible strategies for dealing with it.

• The students compare the treatment of people with mental illness in the historical development with the present situation and deduce positive changes, but also still existing dangers.

• Students reflect on and analyse the impact of migration, culture, religion and spirituality on the attitudes and opinions of the population towards people with mental illness and derive from this the requirements for psychiatric care

Lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises

Final exam: Individual examination, presentation

• Self-concept vs. other-concept,
• explanatory approaches to the development of mental illness (medical-biological-chemical approaches, psychological approaches, spiritual-religious approaches, cultural approaches, approaches from neurobiology, stress-adaptation model)
• The Bio-Psycho-Social Model as an aid to understanding mental illness
• Development and disturbance of one's own personal identity (e.g. feelings, needs, expectations, values)
• Concept of self-efficacy, self-worth and self-concept of positive psychology
• Medical classification systems (ICD 11, DSM5)

• Students describe the impact of cultural, historical and social factors in the context of interaction/behavioural patterns and beliefs on the development of mental illness or the management of mental illness.

• Students explain the importance of the self-concept as well as the development of one's own personal identity (e.g. feelings, needs, expectations, values) in connection with the development of mental illness and reflect on one's own part in the encounter with people with mental illnesses.

• Students explain different explanatory models of mental disorders and can explain current classification schemes for mental illnesses.

Lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises

Continuous assessment: Immanent performance review

• Self-perception and perception of others, transference - counter-transference, own share in the encounter
• Allowing idiosyncrasies while weighing up care vs. autonomy
• Appreciation as a basic attitude
• Importance of closeness and distance in the encounter with people with mental impairments
• Resource orientation as a basic professional attitude
• Impact of different cultural aspects on the process of shaping relationships in the encounter with people with mental illnesses
• Religion, spirituality, spiritual distress
• Ethnocentrism and cultural expectations in relation to mental illness
• Ethnopharmacology
• culturally sensitive care
• Culture-Bound Syndromes
• Selected Cultural Implications of Psychotropic Agents
• Migration
• Social environment, family, friends and peer groups

• The students analyse the importance of resource orientation as a basic attitude in the encounter with people with mental illnesses, include personal and social resources (including family, professional field, peer group, self-help groups) in the care and treatment process and adapt the support in self-care / everyday skills according to illness, age, development and individual and situation (e.g. allowing idiosyncrasies while weighing the ethical dilemma of care vs. autonomy).

• The students explain exemplarily the impact of different cultural, spiritual and social aspects on the self-concept of the affected person as well as the process of shaping relationships in the encounter with people with mental illnesses

• The students define the special importance of closeness and distance in the encounter with people with mental impairments and take this into account on the basis of reflection on their own personal identity in the professional relationship work with them.

Lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises

Final exam

• Basics of person-centered work according to Carl Rogers
• Psychodynamic care based on the nursing model of Hildegard Peplau
• Congruent relationship care according to Rüdiger Bauer
• Basics of the tidal model by Phil Barker and Poppy Buchanan-Barker
• Nonviolent communication (GFK) according to Marshall Rosenberg as an essential instrument for the communicative implementation of person-centered care activities
• Self-empathy and authentic expression of I-messages
• Self-reflection - one's own part in the encounter with the "Other
• Empathy in the sense of GFK towards other people - translating judgements/assessments into feelings and needs
• acting as an advocate in the context of the treatment, care and support process on the basis of ethical reflection and understanding of mental illness, safeguarding the interests of people with mental impairments

• The students recognise situation- and development-specific communication restrictions of people with mental impairments, select appropriate communication forms and aids according to their needs and use them in a targeted manner.

• The students identify the need for support in shaping relationships, recognise their impact on the world of life and everyday life as well as the preferences and competences of people with mental impairments; plan appropriate interventions in the sense of non-violent communication, taking into account their own feelings and needs and reflecting on their own part in the encounter, and implement them.

• Students reflect on the values, realities, feelings and needs of people with psychosocial suffering in the relationship process and analyse and address them in a non-judgemental way; they explain, using Peplau's model as an example, the process of shaping relationships in the encounter with people with mental illness, represent advocacy in the treatment, care and support process on the basis of ethical reflection and understanding of mental illness, and safeguard the interests of people with mental impairments.

Lecture, discussion, case studies, role plays, self-reflection exercises, small group work, partner exercises

Continuous assessment

• Theory: Aggression and violence (definition, origins, …), conflict emergence and management, safety management and prevention, ethics and law, assessment tools
• Practice: Communication-based physical interventions: escape techniques (clothing, handholds, grips, choking), team techniques, use of restraint systems
• Reflection

• Students analyze various forms and underlying mechanisms of aggression and violence.

• Students explain the legal framework governing the use of restraints and restrictions on freedom.

• Students describe ways to prevent aggression and violence, particularly with regard to communication skills and relationship-building.

• Students apply selected communication-based physical interventions (individually and as part of a team).

Block-scheduled seminar-style course combining theory and practice

Theory: Group work followed by discussion, lecture/presentation, discussion, reflection on experiences

Practical component: Demonstrations, hands-on practice with coaching, independent practice; self-awareness exercises; case-based communication exercises

Continuous assessment

• The Concept and Understanding of Mental Health Caring in German-Speaking Countries, with a Special Focus on Person-Centered and Recovery-Oriented Approaches to Psychiatric Nursing.
• Teamwork, Multidisciplinary Teams, Reflection on the Caregiver's Roles and Identity, Therapeutic Community in Psychiatric Nursing,
• Health literacy and knowledge management in the psychiatric setting
• Stressors in the family system: Recognizing crises among family members and loved ones, as well as trialogical support and psychoeducation provided by nursing staff. Stress management;
• Recovery as a fundamental approach in psychiatry; elements of recovery in nursing practice; the adherence concept; the transtheoretical model of behavioral change (motivational interviewing)

• Students describe the nature of interprofessional teamwork, reflect on their own role as psychiatric nurses within the team, identify conflicts, address them constructively, and implement preventive measures to reduce occupational psychological stress(moral stress, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)).

• Students analyze the concept of the “therapeutic community,” illustrate the importance of learning within the therapeutic community using case studies, and apply this knowledge competently in practice.

• As part of their studies in health literacy and knowledge management, students actively participate in organizational structures and plan them in a person-centered manner to strengthen clients' health literacy and ensure self-determined decision-making (informed consent).

• Students identify stressful situations within the family system that arise, for example, from caring for and supporting people with mental health challenges, and offer active support through psychoeducation and counseling in line with the trialogical approach,

• Students understand the concept of recovery as a fundamental approach to psychiatric nursing practice, describe the elements of the concept of recovery, and apply them (CHIME Framework).

Lecture, group work, discussion, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, casuistry analysis, problem-based learning....

Continuous assessment

• Crisis, types of crisis, crisis intervention and de-escalation, self-protection in crisis situations
• Factors that can contribute to the development of a psychosocial crisis: Vulnerability; lack of coping strategies, pathological thinking patterns, excessive demands, social withdrawal and loneliness; isolation; neglect, helplessness, abuse,
• Course of a psychosocial crisis (models)
• Possibilities of crisis intervention: principles for crisis intervention, immediate measures, psychiatric emergency, scope of action for those affected, helpful interventions, steps to prevent crises
• Cultural factors in connection with emergence and intervention
• Negative reactions in the environment: workplace, social network, stigma, lack of understanding
• Psychotraumatology (dealing with trauma, recognition of attachment patterns)
• Relatives in crisis situations: Experience and behaviour, involvement, instruction, counselling
• Care facilities in psychosocial crises
• Selected crisis situations from the perspective of the caregiver: restriction of freedom, suicidal behaviour, aggressive behaviour, self-harming behaviour, withdrawal and isolation, fear and panic

• Students identify life-span- and context-related triggers (including experiences of loss in old age) as potential traumas and plan appropriate nursing interventions; they explain different definitions of crisis based on its course and provide examples of ways to cope with crises.

• The students work on their own experiences with theoretical explanatory models of behaviour and experience when becoming ill, being ill and in crisis and analyse different crisis theories as well as connections between crisis and suicidality.

• Students master the principles of crisis intervention and transfer them into practice.

• The students accompany or lead discharge, crisis intervention and de-escalation talks and use the transtheoretical model for practice transfer.

Lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions, practical exercises

Continuous assessment

• Nonviolent Communication According to M. Rosenberg for Building Relationships with People Who Have Experienced Psychological Trauma
• Needs-based language and its de-escalating effect
• Adherence vs. Compliance, Motivation for Change, and Approach-Avoidance Conflict; The Influence of Motivational Interviewing According to Miller and Rollnick on the Course of Therapy
• The Witten Counseling Tools and Their Significance for Mental Health
• Non-directive counseling approaches and their impact on the healthy psychological development of children and adolescents
• Introduction to the theory of affect regulation, mentalization, and the development of the self

• Students apply Nonviolent Communication as a foundation for working with emotionally distressed individuals of all ages and explain Motivational Interviewing in the context of treatment adherence among people with substance use disorders.

• Students describe the Witten counseling tools in the context of psychological changes.

• Students explain the impact of non-directive counseling approaches on the development of children and adolescents who have experienced potentially traumatic events.

• Students are familiar with Fonagy's concept of mentalization, incorporate this skill into the planning of their interventions in the nursing process, and apply it.

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

• Scientific thinking and research:

  < Deepening scientific thinking, argumentation and working methods

  < Translating complex practical problems into precise, scientifically based research questions

  < Reflection on responsibility and integrity in the scientific knowledge process

  Information literacy and literature evaluation:

  < Strategic and efficient literature research in subject-specific and interdisciplinary databases

  < Assessing scientific sources according to quality and relevance criteria (level of evidence, methodology, topicality, peer review)

  < Structured organization of literature with the help of literature management tools

  < In-depth understanding of scientific citation logic and its ethical, methodological and institutional significance

  Scientific text production and communication:

  <Planning, structuring and writing scientific text samples in compliance with international citation and formatting standards

  < Application of argumentation-logical and evidence-based writing techniques

  < Developing a coherent scientific line of argument in your own specialist context

  Digital and AI-supported tools in science:

  < Critical reflection on the use of AI-based and digital tools in the research process

  < Application of AI-supported systems for research, structural and text support, taking into account transparency, traceability and scientific ethical principles

• Students reflect on responsibility, integrity and ethical dimensions of scientific knowledge processes and apply the guidelines of good scientific practice independently and in accordance with the rules in their own work.

• Students strategically research subject-specific databases, critically evaluate sources according to quality and relevance criteria and document their selection in a comprehensible manner.

• Students write structured, argumentatively coherent academic texts and cite according to the applicable rules.

• Students use digital and AI-powered systems to support their research and writing processes in a critical and reflective manner, while ensuring transparency, traceability, and ethical responsibility.

Mainly activating methods

Continuous assessment

• Deepening Evidence-Based Decision-Making Processes in a Profession-Specific Context

• Application and reflection on evidence-based decision-making models in specific settings

Organization, resources, feasibility

Contextualization

Setting-specific requirements (psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatrics, etc.)

Adaptation to target groups

Development of practice-oriented products

Development of guidelines / recommendations

Rationale

Derivation of recommendations

From evidence → action

Dealing with conflicting evidence

Integration of evidence

Combining multiple studies (“narrative synthesis light”)

Decision-making logic in EBN

Evidence-Based Decision-Making Processes

Structured research questions

Dealing with incomplete or heterogeneous evidence

Critical assessment of evidence in the context of practice, organization, and resources

• Students analyze complex, profession-specific problems and use appropriate formats (e.g., PICO) to formulate structured, evidence-based research questions with a clear reference to the clinical setting.

• Students synthesize the findings of several relevant studies into a well-reasoned overall conclusion and evaluate the quality, validity, and generalizability of the evidence for the respective care scenario, including how to handle conflicting or limited evidence.

• Students independently derive context-specific, clearly justified recommendations for action and reflect on them within the context of evidence, professional expertise, and organizational and ethical frameworks.

• Students develop evidence-based practice guidelines tailored to specific audiences and settings, and reflect on their feasibility in the respective care context as a basis for further elaboration.

Primarily active learning methods

• Continuous work on a real-world problem

• Preparation for the thesis

Final exam: Written Concept / Proposal: - Research Question - Search Logic - Initial Evidence Base - Planned Written Recommendations for Action

Observation of life and interaction situations in the context of the practical activity on the basis of an observation guide.

Analysis of the written observations in small groups under the guidance of a trainer using the concept of mentalization-based pedagogy according to Fonagy.

• Students describe ways of consciously thinking about their thoughts (=metacognition).

• Students express inner attentiveness and conscious awareness of their own emotions (=emotional intelligence)

• The students explain reflexive action competence in the sense of mentalisation, act accordingly in care situations and reflect on their own behaviour patterns.

• Students act in relational situations with appropriate empathy (empathising with themselves and others).

• Students learn the basic principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and apply the cognitive model to simple case scenarios at a general level. They outline basic intervention steps, taking into account assessment, goal setting, and ethical and setting-specific considerations.

Interactive presentation

Practical exercises, observations

Continuous assessment

Psychiatry

Basics

• Vulnerability-stress model in the development of psychopathology
• psychiatric diagnostics and treatment options
• psychopathology status: consciousness, ego disorders, orientation, thinking and formal thought disorders, delusion, hallucination/illusion, affectivity and affectability
• Psychotropic drugs and areas of application, effects - undesirable effects

Diagnosis and therapy of disorders mainly of early to middle adulthood:

• F20-F29 Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (e.g., paranoid schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia).
• F30-F39 Affective disorders (e.g., bipolar affective disorder, recurrent depressive disorder)
• F40-F48 Neurotic, stress, and somatoform disorders (e.g., phobic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder)
• F60-F69 Personality and behavior disorders (e.g., emotionally unstable personality disorder, gender identity disorder)
• F10-F19 Psychological and behavioural disorders caused by psychotropic substances (e.g. dependence syndromes, acute intoxications, withdrawal syndromes)

Tasks of psychiatry in the "person with disabilities" setting

• Definition and symptoms of hereditary metabolic disorders, developmental brain disorders, chromosomal disorders and exogenous damage, as well as therapeutic and preventive options.

Tasks of psychiatry in the setting "Forensic psychiatry

• Students describe the paradigms of contemporary psychiatry with regard to the origins of mental illness, diagnosis, and treatment approaches

• Students examine the psychosocial, somatological, and pathological factors involved in the development of the most common psychiatric disorders and use this understanding to determine the necessary medical diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as well as—based on the principles of person-centered care—health-promoting, preventive, and therapeutic nursing interventions

• Students explain the medical roles of psychiatry in the settings of “people with disabilities” and “forensic psychiatry”;

Lectures/lectures, group discussions, group work, case studies

Final exam

• Neurobiological, neuropsychological foundations of human development,
• development of the individual and the importance of interpersonal relationships
• Influences of digitalization on the cognitive, emotional and social development of people
• Learning processes in the brain and the influence of relationships on learning
• Loneliness - a major factor in psychological suffering, search for social connection
• Experiencing and experiencing illness up to crisis and trauma
• Suicide as an extreme form of a crisis, models of the phasic course, recognition, prevention, correct action
• Psychodynamics, social factors and traumatisation as causes of depressive disorders
• Treatment concepts for crisis and trauma
• Treatment concepts for affective disorders
• Treatment concepts for schizophrenic disorders

• Students describe the key factors and stages of healthy personality development from infancy through adulthood (cognitive, psychological, social) and, based on this, deduce the significance of these factors for relationship-building and social participation, taking into account the impact of digitalization on people's cognitive, emotional, and social development, as well as its influence on interpersonal relationships

• Students explain learning processes using the model of neuroplasticity.

• Students define current psychological explanatory models for the following mental disorders: mood disorders, schizophrenic disorders, substance use disorders, neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders, and personality and conduct disorders, in terms of their underlying principles, and explain the key elements of psychological and psychotherapeutic treatment approaches, including crisis intervention and psychotraumatology.

• Students analyze assessment tools for evaluating suicide risk, reflect on myths and facts about suicide, explain the significance of psychosocial crises, and describe the connections between crisis and suicide; implement therapeutic nursing interventions for suicide prevention and are trained in suicide prevention.

Lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions

Continuous assessment

• Interference with personal rights

• Fundamental, liberty and personal rights
• Patients' rights, living wills, patient advocacy in psychiatry
• UBG, home residence law
• Treatment, compensation
• Legal aspects in relation to children, adolescents
• Criminal, civil and administrative law issues in connection with violence in the family

• Rehabilitation, integration and reintegration

• Legal basis for the rehabilitation, integration and reintegration of disabled persons
• Legal bases of the adult protection law

• Students provide information and guidance to people with mental health challenges and their support networks (e.g., families, adult representatives, social workers) regarding their rights and responsibilities within the framework of service delivery.

• Students represent and protect the interests of people with mental health conditions by acting as advocates within the context of the treatment, care, and support process.

• Students base their professional practice on subject-specific legal matters and legal foundations (e.g., the Law on Compulsory Education, enforcement of measures, the Adult Protection Act, child protection, the Protection Against Violence Act, the General Civil Code, and the Penal Code).

Mainly activating methods

Final exam

General

• Historical aspects of personality development during childhood and adolescence
• Development of child and adolescent psychiatry and its position between psychiatry, child and adolescent medicine, pedagogy and youth welfare services
• Position and core competencies of the nursing profession in the interdisciplinary context of child and adolescent psychiatry

Development of children and adolescents

• Neurobiological background of learning and development with special emphasis on adolescence

Communication and relationship work

• Special features of relationship work with children and adolescents, taking into account the care models of Hildegard Peplau and Rüdiger Bauer
• Non-violent communication in the accompaniment of children and adolescents in the context of the nursing process

Nursing process and nursing concepts

• Special nursing diagnostics taking into account age and personality development
• Care-therapeutic approaches taking into account age and development: therapeutic milieu, learning from the model, learning through feedback, social competence training, psychoeducation, adherence therapy, daily structure, play, etc., approaches of mentalization-based pedagogy for adolescents (MBT-A)
• Recovery orientation on the basis of the tidal model - promotion of autonomy in an age- and developmentally appropriate form
• Traumatization of children and adolescents (emotional - physical - sexual violence, bullying at school, cyberbullying), impact of violence in education, criminal and forensic aspects
• Special nursing aspects and nursing process in adolescents with eating disorders with special emphasis on anorexia nervosa
• Special nursing aspects and nursing process for children and adolescents with specific anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, everyday life training based on the findings of cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Parental work in the sense of the child's well-being, systemic and person-centred perspectives, family-related nursing diagnoses
• Suicidal, self-injurious and other self-harming behaviour in adolescence, approaches of DBT-A
• Nursing care of children with ADHD, support and coaching of families within the nursing process, the Multimodal Therapy of Children with ADHD

• Using a model (Erikson, Piaget, ...) as an example, students explain the developmental stages and specific challenges faced by children and adolescents, and use this to demonstrate the importance of a stable relationship between children and adolescents and their caregivers

• Students describe common reactions of newborns, children, and adolescents to current and potential health problems in the parent-child context and use these examples to explain how characteristic conflict situations arise between children or adolescents and adults.

• Students recognize signs of trauma, child endangerment, suicidal tendencies, and self-harming behavior, and implement nursing, preventive, and interprofessional measures. In doing so, they apply legal, ethical, and human rights principles as well as strategies for de-escalation and violence prevention, and reflect on the use of measures that restrict freedom.

• Students integrate principles of developmental psychology, attachment theory, and neurobiology into psychiatric care planning and establish therapeutic relationships with children, adolescents, and caregivers based on psychiatric nursing concepts, while involving families, caregivers, and systems within the child's living environment into the nursing process through family-oriented and systemic approaches.

• Students plan evidence-based nursing interventions to promote self-efficacy, emotion regulation, social competence, adherence, and recovery, and take into account the influence of diversity, gender, culture, the digital environment, and social media on mental health in their nursing practice.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case work, e-learning

Final exam

• Tasks of nursing in case and care management in the psychiatric setting
• Promotion and development of life skills, resilience
• Maintaining or restoring quality of life
• Central themes: Phenomena such as anxiety, hopelessness, delusions, hearing voices, poisoning ideas, aggression and violence, craving, etc.
• Interaction and relationship processes within the patient community and its impact on the relationship formation in the patient group
• Counselling and training in the family system
• Therapeutic individual setting using the example of individual psychoeducation
• Therapeutic group setting: group phases, group dynamics, group processes, formation of groups, group preparation, example of group education

• Students are familiar with the methods, approaches, and principles of case and care management and actively support people with mental health conditions in addressing their psychosocial needs through case management.

• Students support and assist people with mental health challenges and their support networks in maintaining, promoting, and developing life skills and resilience (e.g., building self-confidence, preventing violence, transitioning, developing autonomy, health promotion and prevention, employment, and leisure activities).

• Students design nursing-therapeutic group activities within the framework of existing programs, tailored to the target group and the situation, and implement targeted symptom management to maintain or restore quality of life (e.g., for phenomena such as anxiety, hopelessness, delusions, hearing voices, thoughts of poisoning, aggression and violence, and cravings).

• Students promote and shape interaction and relationship processes within the patient community and influence group dynamics as well as the nature of relationships in patient groups in a professional and goal-oriented manner. They facilitate and lead stress relief, crisis intervention, and de-escalation discussions in a manner appropriate to the situation.

• Students advise and support family members and caregivers using a trialogical and recovery-oriented approach, and help them develop adaptive coping strategies for dealing with psychological stress and mental disorders.

Lecture, case discussions after case study, role plays, action learning, group work

Final exam

Nursing Therapy Concepts and Interventions

• The Nursing Process in a Psychiatric Setting: Person-Centered Nursing Assessment
• Professional Nursing-Therapeutic Communication (including Motivational Interviewing and Nonviolent Communication according to Rosenberg
• Individual and Group Care Therapy
• Working with Family Members and Loved Ones, the Systemic Framework, and the Family Environment
• Milieu Therapy and the Concept of the Therapeutic Community (Design of the Therapeutic Space, Organization of Daily Life and Relationships, Participation of the Patient Community)

Modern therapeutic approaches in nursing:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT-P): skills training, stress tolerance, coping with self-harm
• Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT): Affect regulation based on the mentalization concept
• Social skills training, self-esteem training, and cognitive training: Recovery and participation: The recovery model in acute, long-term, and forensic psychiatry
• Milieu therapy concepts and modern psychiatric care models: Therapeutic community according to Jones, Safewards, the Weddinger Model, Soteria, Open Dialogue, and High and Intensive Care (HIC).

Crisis, Risk, Ethics, and Aggression Management

• Crisis intervention and acute care (BELLA concept, Safewards model based on Bowers' 7-step model of crisis intervention by Albert R. Roberts
• Human Rights-Oriented Psychiatry: Reduction of Coercion, Approach in Daily Care
• Coercion and Alternatives to Coercive Measures: Primary/secondary/tertiary prevention, de-escalation management
• Ethical challenges, particularly care vs. autonomy
• Legal Issues: Liability, informed consent, the German Civil Code (BGB), the Adult Protection Act
• Suicide prevention based on current evidence: risk assessment (SSF-1 and NGASR—Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk), intervention, and postvention
• Violence and Aggression Management: Communicative and physical de-escalation techniques (team and restraint techniques)
• Structured debriefings following crisis events and coercive measures
• Challenging Behavior, Relationship Breakdowns, and Psychosocial Conflicts
• Ethics in Psychiatry: The Tension Between Autonomy and Care; Ethical Case Discussions; Preserving Dignity in Crises
• Diversity, intersectionality, and transcultural psychiatric nursing (gender aspects; transcultural psychiatric nursing; diversity specific to age and life stages)

Care for people (concepts, differential diagnosis, risk factors, types, etiology, symptoms, nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions) with a disturbance in psychosocial adaptation, including participation in diagnosis and therapy within the context of the following psychiatric disorders:

• Neurocognitive Disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, autism spectrum)
• Substance Use Disorders (acute nursing management, harm reduction)
• Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Bipolar Disorders
• Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Dissociative Disorders
• Trauma and Complex Trauma-Related Disorders
• Eating Disorders and Sexual Disorders
• Personality Disorders (Focus: Borderline Personality Disorder)
• Special Features of the Forensic Psychiatry Setting

• Students conduct nursing assessments of the experiences and behaviors of individuals with psychiatric disorders and co-occurring conditions (psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders), select evidence-based assessment tools, and use them to develop participatory nursing-therapeutic interventions.

• Students identify risks related to specific patients and at-risk groups (e.g., suicide risk, aggression, delirium, drugs, weapons) and derive nursing interventions based on medical-diagnostic and medical-therapeutic interventions as well as the clinical assessment of the situation.

• The students apply primary/secondary/tertiary preventive interventions in connection with measures restricting freedom, adequately use the corresponding aids and accompany or lead relief, crisis intervention and de-escalation talks; carry out specific de-escalation management if required (e.g. communication-supported physical interventions such as team techniques, holding techniques).

• Students support clients and their families using harm reduction and self-management methods (e.g., craving protocols, recovery journals, crisis plans, etc.) and help them develop coping strategies and life skills for everyday life.

• Students plan, lead, and evaluate therapeutic nursing group and community-based programs using concepts such as psychoeducation, recovery coaching, motivational interviewing, and specific approaches from DBT and MBT.

• Students explain and compare current psychiatric care and environmental models (HIC, Safewards, the Weddinger Model, Soteria, Open Dialogue) and apply their fundamental principles to design recovery- and human rights-oriented psychiatric care.

Lectures, group work, guided discussions, problem-based learning (PBL), assignments with feedback

Continuous assessment

• Basic attitudes towards people with disabilities
• Ethics
• Developmental psychology approach
• Human development in different stages of life
• Medical explanatory models and the development of disability
• Therapeutic approaches and prevention possibilities, areas of support
• Regional and supraregional facilities
• Measures for inclusion, supported communication
• Work with relatives and lay people
• Counselling sessions
• Normalisation principle

• Students represent the stance of processual interaction and reflect on the ethical principles of dignity, autonomy, and caring in the context of caring for people with learning disabilities, congenital mental and/or physical disabilities, or people with acquired physical disabilities.

• Based on the physical, psychological, and social effects of learning disabilities, congenital intellectual and/or physical disabilities, and acquired physical disabilities, students tailor nursing care and identify key areas of support.

• Students describe explanatory models and the effects of learning disabilities and, based on these as well as the principles of person-centered care and sociotherapeutic skills in working with people with disabilities, derive preventive measures and implement them as part of their nursing practice.

• Students explain the specific challenges involved in working with people with learning disabilities, are thereby able to contribute to the therapeutic process through nursing care, and reflect on their own reactions and behavior patterns when interacting with people with disabilities.

• Students view the involvement of family members and loved ones in care and support as an example of a normalization approach and have communication strategies for handling difficult interactions.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions, practical exercises, blended learning

Continuous assessment

• Basal Stimulation in a Pediatric Setting
  • Components (Attitude, Competence, Technique) of Basal Stimulation® in Children
  • Experiences and basal stimulation interventions in the somatic, vibratory, vestibular, auditory, audiorhythmic, oral/olfactory, tactile-haptic, and visual domains
  • Basic principles and aspects of high-quality touch, consistency of touch, and contact intensity in children
  • Programs that foster self-expression, support development, and accompany periods of withdrawal
  • Boundary-setting positioning
• De-escalation measures and communication strategies for psychiatric disorders in pediatric settings, involving caregivers: ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and anorexia
• De-escalation strategies for pediatric patients with psychiatric disorders and their caregivers in the context of psychopharmacological treatment
• Skills to Promote Adherence
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Sensory Integration

• Students apply skills in a nursing setting to promote adherence among pediatric and psychiatric patients and their caregivers in a situation- and case-specific manner as part of a simulation.

• Students identify symptoms and challenging behaviors in pediatric patients, associate them with a specific clinical picture, and use this information to determine the necessary interventions for pediatric nursing (using ADHD, anorexia, and borderline personality disorder as examples).

• Students select appropriate concepts—such as basal stimulation, sensory integration, and trauma-informed care—tailored to the situation, age, and patient in pediatric and psychiatric settings; apply these concepts; and evaluate the impact of the implemented measures in terms of well-being, orientation, body awareness, communication, and patient safety, and reflect on their own nursing practice.

• When working with pediatric patients with psychiatric disorders and their caregivers in the context of psychopharmacological treatment, students communicate in a de-escalating, respectful, and situation-appropriate manner. They recognize signs of tension and escalation early on, apply appropriate de-escalation strategies, and take into account the individual developmental level, autonomy, and needs of the patients as well as their caregivers.

• Students assess the appropriateness of their own communicative and de-escalation strategies, taking into account patient safety, autonomy, developmental stage, and relationship-building.

Simulation and Skills Training

Continuous assessment

Analysis and Organization of the Work Process 

• Using the synopsis as a working basis 

• Planning and Structuring the Thesis 

Application of Academic Criteria 

• Reflection on Coherence, Argumentation, and Evidence-Based Approach 

• Working with Feedback 

Feedback and Discourse 

• Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback 

• Discussion of decision-making and reasoning processes 

Presentation 

• Presenting the status of the work in a manner tailored to the audience 

• Defending decisions with well-reasoned arguments 

• Students independently analyze and reflect on the status of their work process in terms of goal achievement, coherence, and methodological quality, and use this to determine well-reasoned next steps.

• Students evaluate their own work as well as that of their peers based on academic criteria and thoughtfully incorporate the feedback they receive into the further development of their thesis.

• Students present the progress of their work in a manner appropriate to their audience, provide clear justifications for their methodological and content-related decisions, and defend these decisions in academic discourse.

• Presentation of Work Progress

• Structured peer feedback processes

• Facilitated discussions

• Guided reflection on the work and writing process

Continuous assessment: Presentation of the progress of the thesis; active participation in peer feedback processes; brief reflective contributions to the further development of one's own work

• Formulation and Specification of Evidence-Based Research Questions 

• Expansion and systematic synthesis of the evidence base 

• Consistent derivation and justification of recommendations for action 

• Development and written formulation of an evidence-based practical tool 

• Reflection on limitations and feasibility within the respective care context 

• Students independently develop a consistent, evidence-based recommendation for action in a specific professional setting, based on a structured body of evidence.

• Students provide clear and reasonable justifications for their recommendations, taking into account the quality of the evidence, its generalizability, and profession-specific and organizational constraints.

• Students reflect on the limitations of the underlying evidence as well as the feasibility of the recommended interventions in the respective healthcare context.

• Independent written paper based on the outline developed 

• Use of scholarly and digital tools to structure and present evidence 

• Individual guidance regarding specific academic questions (clearly defined) 

Final exam: Performance is assessed through a written final paper.

• Presentation of the Key Findings of the Thesis

• Development of a clearly structured presentation

• Reflection on and justification of methodological decisions

• Placing the findings in a profession-specific context

• Preparation for technical discussions and critical questions

• Students present the key findings of their evidence-based thesis in a structured, audience-appropriate, and academically sound manner.

• Students provide clear justifications for methodological approaches and evidence-based decisions and defend them with well-reasoned arguments in academic discourse.

• Students draw connections between their thesis and relevant academic and professional contexts and critically reflect on their significance.

• During the oral exam, students provide structured answers to complex subject-specific questions and present scientifically sound arguments.

• Independent preparation of the thesis presentation

• Presentation of the final thesis, including the examination interview

• Exam discussion on topics relevant to the training program

Final exam: Final examination, consisting of: - Presentation of the key findings of the thesis - Technical examination discussion to justify the chosen approach and the resulting recommendations for action - Discussion of the applicability of the findings to other healthcare contexts, as well as their placement within the professional and academic context

Meeting neurologically ill people (1 ECTS)

essential diagnostic measures for neurologically ill persons

• neurological examination - general - clinical
• EEG, EMG, NLG, EVP
• cerebrospinal fluid puncture
• contrast medium examinations
• angiography, myelography, CT and MRT, Doppler sonography

Causes, symptoms, diagnostic and therapeutic (conservative and neurosurgical) options for

• G 35 Multiple sclerosis
• G 40 Epilepsy
• G62 Polyneuropathies (e.g. alcohol-induced polyneuropathy, drug-induced polyneuropathy)
• G80-G82 Cerebral palsies (e.g. infantile cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, paraplegia, tetraplegia)
• headache and facial pain
• infectious and inflammatory diseases in the central nervous system
• problem of intracranial pressure increase
• central nervous system tumors
• injuries of the central nervous system
• muscular diseases

Encounter with young people in psychosocial distress (0,5 ECTS)

Diagnosis and therapy of disorders mainly in childhood and adolescence:

• F 50 Eating disorders (e.g. anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa).
• F 80-F89 Developmental disorders (e.g. reading and spelling disorder, early childhood autism, early childhood psychosis)
• F 90-F98 Behavioral and emotional disorders with onset in childhood and adolescence (e.g., hyperkinetic disorder, social behavior disorder with depressive disorder, emotional disorder with separation anxiety)

Gerontopsychiatry (0.5 ECTS)

Diagnosis and therapy of mental disorders mainly of older age:

• F00-F09 Organic, including symptomatic mental disorders (e.g. dementia forms, delirium).
• G30-G32 Other degenerative diseases of the nervous system (e.g. Alzheimer's disease)
• G20-G26 Extrapyramidal diseases and movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's syndrome)
• Differentiation delirium - dementia - depression
• Specific effect/interaction especially of psychotropic drugs in old age

• The students grasp psychosocial, somatological and pathological connections to the genesis of the neurological clinical pictures mentioned and derive from this the necessary medical diagnostics and therapy approaches, as well as - from the principles of person-oriented care - health-promoting, prophylactic and care-therapeutic measures. Furthermore, they prepare people with neurological diseases as well as their family and reference system for a medical-therapeutic or medical-diagnostic intervention after medical information and assist in the implementation.

• The students record psychosocial, somatological and pathological connections to the genesis of the mentioned psychiatric clinical pictures in children and adolescents and derive the necessary medical diagnostics and therapy approaches, as well as - from the principles of person-oriented care - health-promoting, prophylactic and care-therapeutic measures. Furthermore, they prepare children and adolescents with mental impairments as well as their family and reference system for a medical-therapeutic or medical-diagnostic intervention after medical information and assist in the implementation.

• The students record psychosocial, somatological and pathological connections to the genesis of mental illnesses, mainly in old age, and derive from this the necessary medical diagnostics and therapeutic approaches, as well as - from the principles of person-oriented care - health-promoting, prophylactic and care-therapeutic measures. Furthermore, they prepare elderly people with mental impairments as well as their family and reference system for a medical-therapeutic or medical-diagnostic intervention after medical information and assist in the implementation.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions

Final exam

• Overview of the recognised psychotherapeutic schools and their primary indications.
• Aspects and possible applications of behavioural therapy findings in the nursing process, e.g. DBT according to Marsha Linehan (skills training), metacognitive training, etc.
• Reflection, self-image - external image, JOHARI window, feedback as a pedagogical instrument
• Basics of psychoeducation, group dynamics, group leadership
• Mentalization-based therapy according to Peter Fonagy, nursing usability in the context of the relationship process
• Sociological aspects of mental health and mental suffering: family, peer group, employment, housing situation, tenure, stigmatization, illness gain
• socio-historical and individual influences on the life history and life situation of elderly people, biography
• importance of a stable relationship between children or adolescents and their caregivers
• developmental phases according to Erikson and particular susceptibilities to disorders in the individual phases
• Topic "Violence in the family" and its effects on the lives of children and adolescents.
• Acts of aggression by children and adolescents as an expression of great emotional distress

• Students explain the philosophy, view of human nature, foundational principles, and indications of the psychotherapeutic schools recognized in Austria; based on this, they identify examples of how behavioral therapy methods can be applied within the nursing process; and they describe the distinctions between behavioral therapy and everyday training in nursing.

• Students analyze the significance of self-image and external perception using the Johari Window and the effects of feedback on personality development; they master the fundamentals of psychoeducation and examine the sociological aspects of mental health and psychological distress.

• Students explain the socio-historical and individual influences on the life stories and living situations of older adults (biography), as well as on their self-image and lifestyle in old age.

• Students describe the topic of “domestic violence” and its effects on the lives of children and adolescents and their development, and in this context explain why aggressive behavior by children and adolescents is often considered an expression of severe emotional distress.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, problem-based learning

Final exam

• Key distinctions according to GfK: observation vs. evaluation, feelings vs. thoughts, need vs. strategy, request/suggestion vs. request, self-empathy vs. "wallowing in feelings", trigger of feelings vs. cause of feelings.
• Working with the 4-step tool of GfK for self-empathy
• Reflection on experiences/conflicts in practical training using the GfK model
• 4-Ears model of GfK
• Exercises on the perception of feelings and needs
• Exercises with the "inner team" according to Schulz v. Thun

• Students distinguish between their own thoughts, judgments, perceptions, feelings, and needs; explain how their own behavior influences their relationships with others; and are able to express "I" messages without judging others

• Students explain the difference between value judgments and moral judgments as defined by Nonviolent Communication and describe ways to develop strategies for meeting their own needs while taking into account the needs of others

• Students identify and describe their own roles in interactions with people in conflict situations.

Group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, practical exercises, individual reflections.

Worksheets, "giraffe dance floor", role plays, work with the "inner team".

Continuous assessment

Participants are guided to:

Apply theoretical knowledge (theory-to-practice transfer) in all areas of clinical practice defined for competency attainment:

(1) Nursing in the psychiatric and psychosocial fields, such as nursing in the areas of inpatient basic psychiatric care, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and facilities for people with substance use disorders, as well as in long-term inpatient settings (e.g., dementia care units)

(2) Nursing in the semi-inpatient sector of psychiatric and psychosocial care (e.g., day clinics, day centers)

(3) Nursing in psychiatric and psychosocial rehabilitation settings (e.g., “burnout” clinics, facilities for medium- and long-term addiction treatment, psychosomatic medicine)

(4) Nursing in extramural settings of psychiatric care (e.g., outpatient clinics, outreach nursing, primary care centers) and shared living communities, as well as sociotherapeutic facilities (e.g., therapeutic workshops) in the psychosocial care of people of all ages and developmental stages

Optionally and in addition, also in areas such as private practice nursing, public health services, medical offices and group practices, and other care facilities related to psychiatric health and nursing care.

• Identifying and addressing health risks and resources, and implementing measures to prevent accidents and illnesses.
• Maintaining a training log in the form of an internship handbook, which serves as a guide for the entire internship training.
• Promoting personal commitment to learning and ensuring learning progress in the aforementioned areas, as well as reflecting on experiences gained in the respective professional field.

• Students apply their theoretical knowledge to the practical care and support of people experiencing psychological distress in various care settings.

• Students professionally assess the living situation of individuals experiencing psychological distress, plan the care process—from assessment through discharge—with regard to psychosocial issues (emotional experience, cognitive evaluation, and behavior), implement this plan in practice while taking the therapeutic relationship into account, and document the nursing care and support in a transparent manner using the tools applied in the clinical setting

• Students conduct de-escalating, supportive, and therapeutic conversations with people experiencing psychological distress

• Students integrate themselves into an interprofessional team and justify nursing aspects in the treatment process.

• Students can critically evaluate their practical experiences in light of the learning objectives set in advance and draw conclusions regarding the rest of their academic program as well as their personal career planning.

Based on the practical skills acquired, students proactively and purposefully seek out potential internship opportunities that will contribute to their further skill development.

Students independently contact identified internship sites and notify their academic department of their internship dates.

Continuous assessment: Completion of Minimum Hours

Reflection Report, Including Feedback from the Clinical Instructor

Participants are guided to:

Apply theoretical knowledge (theory-to-practice transfer) in all areas of clinical practice defined for competency attainment:

(1) Nursing in the psychiatric and psychosocial fields, such as nursing in the areas of inpatient basic psychiatric care, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and facilities for people with substance use disorders, as well as in long-term inpatient settings (e.g., dementia care units)

(2) Nursing in the semi-inpatient sector of psychiatric and psychosocial care (e.g., day clinics, day centers)

(3) Nursing in psychiatric and psychosocial rehabilitation settings (e.g., “burnout” clinics, facilities for medium- and long-term addiction treatment, psychosomatic medicine)

(4) Nursing in extramural settings of psychiatric care (e.g., outpatient clinics, outreach nursing, primary care centers) and shared living communities, as well as sociotherapeutic facilities (e.g., therapeutic workshops) in the psychosocial care of people of all ages and developmental stages

Optionally and in addition, also in areas such as private practice nursing, public health services, private practices and group practices, and other care facilities related to psychiatric health and nursing care.

• Identifying and addressing health risks and resources, and implementing measures to prevent accidents and illnesses.
• Maintaining a training log in the form of an internship handbook, which serves as a guide for the entire internship training.
• Promoting personal commitment to learning and ensuring learning progress in the aforementioned areas, as well as reflecting on experiences gained in the respective professional field.

• Students apply their theoretical knowledge in the care and support of emotionally distressed individuals in various care settings.

• Students professionally assess the life situations of individuals experiencing psychological distress, plan the nursing process from assessment through discharge with regard to psychosocial issues (emotional experience, cognitive evaluation, and behavior) in collaboration with the individuals concerned, implement this plan in practice while taking the therapeutic relationship into account, and document the nursing and care provided in a transparent manner using the tools applied in clinical practice.

• Students conduct de-escalating, supportive, and therapeutic conversations with people experiencing psychological distress.

• Students become part of an interprofessional team and incorporate nursing aspects into the treatment process, with a particular focus on external partner organizations, such as collaboration in violence prevention and protection networks (including defined communication and escalation procedures).

Based on the practical skills acquired, students proactively and purposefully seek out potential internship opportunities that contribute to the further development of their skills.

Students independently contact identified internship sites and notify their academic department of their internship periods.

Continuous assessment: Completion of the minimum number of hours

Submission of a reflection report, including feedback from the clinical instructor

Care structures and framework conditions for older people in Austria

• Psychosocial care structure and care models for people suffering from dementia nationally and internationally
• Psychogeriatric care, palliative care

Assessment

• Assessment: life history and life situation of elderly people, biography work and biography sheet
• Dementia Care Mapping
• Dementia, depression, delirium and differential diagnoses
• Anxiety, delusion, addiction, disorientation, "confusion".

Psychosocial challenges

• Challenging behaviors in encounters with the elderly, especially those with dementia
• Psychosocial changes such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidality, delusion, psychosis, impoverishment, confusion and neglect
• Loneliness, loss of social ties
• Social and financial distress
• Ethical discourse on dignity and autonomy in old age
• Special challenges for the elderly, due to (war) trauma, uprooting and migration

Care, accompaniment and support of elderly people with psychogeriatric impairments

• communication/social interaction
• Basic idea and goals of Validation, phases of reappraisal according to Naomi Feil, Validation techniques
• Maintaining relationships and building social contacts oriented to the needs of older people
• Exemplary care models (e.g.: Eden concept)
• Preservation and promotion of resources
• Palliative care
• Everyday life design and care, shaping the environment
• Spiritual care
• Involvement and "co-care" of relatives

• Students explain the specific situation faced by people living with dementia and/or receiving palliative care, and select appropriate perceptual, physical, and behavioral concepts and methods to maintain and promote their mental and physical abilities, personality, and identity of patients and their social connections, and apply them in practice.

• Students recognize psychosocial changes such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal ideation, delusions, psychosis, physical decline, confusion, and neglect, and tailor necessary nursing interventions accordingly. They systematically take multimorbidity into account in their assessment, prioritization, and intervention.

• The students discuss the ethical focal points of dignity, autonomy and care in the last phase of life in the context of psychogeriatrics and reflect exemplarily self-critically on their own basic values and basic attitudes in dealing with people with, for example, dementia, and on this basis further develop their relationship design and communication in the direction of person-centred, validating competence.

• Students examine the specific challenges faced by older adults resulting from (war) trauma, uprootment, and migration, and use this understanding to develop the necessary nursing interventions for geriatric psychiatric care, as well as, for example, for palliative care.

• Students plan, monitor, and evaluate nursing interventions in complex pain management settings for older adults. They apply evidence-based complementary nursing methods (e.g., aromatherapy, activity training, and daily living skills training) appropriately for each indication in a psychogeriatric context.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions, practical exercises

Final exam

• Nursing assessments, diagnostics, interventions and evaluations for people with mental disorders, selected nursing interventions and their evidence.
• Assessment tools to correctly identify nursing-related problems that occur with mental disorders. They are familiar with nursing interventions to meaningfully address these problems and can meaningfully evaluate their success:
• Reflection on the nursing therapeutic process - Techniques for evaluating the accuracy of your assessments and the benefits of your interventions.

• Students are able to make adequate situation assessments and quick decisions (e.g. to maintain safety).

• Students diagnose the nursing and care needs of people with mental impairments, including the environment, and derive nursing interventions.

• The students include experience and meaning as well as behaviour in the case of mental impairment when determining the need for care and derive psychosocial interventions.

• In the event of safety-threatening situations, the students can resort to measures that are tailored to the situation - but are the least severe in each case.

• Students select specific assessment and evaluation tools for the care of people with mental impairments and implement them in practice.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions, practical exercises

Continuous assessment

• Use of digital technologies and assistance systems in nursing care
• Psychological online counselling
• Complementary online treatment in psychiatric home care
• Online platforms for self-help groups, information on clinical pictures etc.
• Development in (digital) health care - past, present, visions, ethical problems
• Virtual reality for social phobia, relaxation training, etc.
• Social media - participation in digital form
• Apps to promote memory, use of games
• Data protection
• General conditions such as availability (and affordability) of technical equipment, Internet, knowledge, training, etc.

• Students explain the challenges of digital transformation and the associated opportunities and risks using practical examples from their own professional lives, both from a profession-specific and an interprofessional perspective, and analyze the impact of digital transformation on the understanding of professional and interprofessional roles.

• Using communication tailored to the audience and appropriate methods, students analyze the needs of their own profession and other stakeholders (clients, supervisors, organizational leaders) with regard to digital solutions.

• Students are aware of the ethical and data protection issues involved in the use of digital technologies and assistive systems in nursing.

• Students describe the basic framework for effectively integrating apps, new technologies, and social media into the counseling process.

Lecture with activating methods, group work, discussion, feedback, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, practical exercises

Continuous assessment

• The Importance and Influencing Factors of Employment, a Sociotherapeutic Approach, Unemployment, and Poverty
• Motivation and Basic Human Needs, the Transtheoretical Model, Resilience Training
• Therapy and care interventions (perceptual, body-oriented—mindfulness training)
• Activities in a Play-Based Educational Context (Attitude, Planning, Action)
• Recovery, empowerment
• Social skills training, memory training, cognitive training
• Group preparation, group phases and group dynamics, disruptions in groups, group facilitation
• Perception- and body-oriented concepts and methods
• Recovery, empowerment, salutogenesis, and social participation
• Life Skills, Self-Efficacy, and Resilience
• The importance of work, employment, and daily structure, as well as the effects of unemployment and poverty on mental health
• Recovery-oriented group programs
• Preparation, implementation, and evaluation of group programs
• Group Phases, Group Dynamics, Group Facilitation, and Managing Disruptions in Groups
• Creative interventions in psychiatric nursing (art, music, creative activities)
• Exercise, leisure, and nature-based programs (e.g., Green Care, walking, physical activity in daily life)
• Perceptual and body-based interventions (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, MBSR, MBCT)
• Social skills training, memory training, and cognitive training programs
• Community participation and community-based support services
• Social prescribing as a means of connecting patients with social, cultural, and health-promoting services
• Planning and reflection on nursing-therapeutic group activities

• Students explain the importance of life skills and social participation for mental health, taking into account recovery, empowerment, salutogenesis, participation, and a focus on the lived environment. Based on this, they develop nursing interventions to promote autonomy, self-efficacy, health literacy, and social participation.

• Students analyze the importance of social participation, work, employment, daily structure, and community for the quality of life of people with mental illness and plan appropriate nursing interventions in various care settings. They plan, design, and evaluate recovery-oriented group programs as well as creative and psychosocial interventions. They facilitate group dynamics and professionally support interaction and relationship-building processes within patient groups.

• Students explain how “sociotherapy” and “creativity-based therapeutic techniques” can be applied in practice, outline their potential applications and areas of focus, and contribute within the scope of their nursing expertise.

• Students explain how creative, artistic, movement-oriented, and community-based approaches (e.g., art, music, movement, nature, and recreational activities) can be applied in nursing practice and use selected interventions in a targeted manner within the scope of their nursing expertise.

• Students select and apply perception- and body-based approaches (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation according to Jakobson, MBSR mindfulness training, running) as well as behavior-oriented approaches (concepts/methods).

Lecture with activating methods

Continuous assessment: Project Work (including presentation and technical discussion)

• Overview of common conditions in the setting of people with neurological conditions and their treatment, diagnosis and implications for nursing care.
• Effects of neurological diseases on the self-care of those affected
• Psychosocial changes such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidality, powerlessness, hopelessness, loss of self-esteem, loss of role, lack of motivation, ...
• Nursing concepts in the setting of people with neurological disorders: Bobath, NDT, ...
• Possibility of health promotion,
• counselling and training of the affected persons or their relatives and friends
• Specific assessment and evaluation tools for the care of people with neurological impairments.
• Focus areas: Waking coma, mobility, communication (aphasia), nutrition, psyche, rehabilitation.
• Neuroscience Nursing approach (holistic assessment of the complexity of neurological nursing care situations, deriving individualised nursing measures and promoting interprofessional cooperation)
• Concepts in nursing action: Bobath, kinaesthetics, cognitive stimulation and training, activity building, aroma care, everyday life training, mobilisation, gait training, ...

• Students identify risks associated with specific patients and risk groups and derive nursing interventions based on medical-diagnostic and medical-therapeutic interventions, as well as the clinical assessment of the situation; They explain this using the example of recognizing psychosocial changes such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicidal tendencies, and tailor the necessary nursing interventions accordingly.

• Students tailor support for self-care and daily living skills to the student's illness, age, and developmental stage, as well as to the individual and the specific situation (e.g., allowing for personal quirks while balancing care with autonomy); plan, conduct, and evaluate counseling sessions tailored to specific target groups in professionally and personally challenging nursing situations.

• Students implement targeted symptom management to maintain or restore quality of life (e.g., in cases of anxiety, hopelessness, or helplessness), and support and accompany people with neurological impairments and their support networks in maintaining, promote, and develop life skills (e.g., developing autonomy, health promotion).

• Students support and promote adherence by applying selected concepts (e.g., psychoeducation, coaching, motivational interviewing), select specific assessment and evaluation tools for the care of people with neurological impairments and implement them in practice.

• To preserve and promote the patient's mental and physical abilities, personality or identity, and social connections, students apply perception-based, physical, and behavior-oriented concepts and methods (cognitive stimulation and training, activity development, aromatherapy, activities of daily living training, mobilization, gait training, ...); based on the clinical care situation and the individual treatment regimen in a neurological setting, they determine whether an adjustment or modification—for example, of medication—is necessary and initiate it.

Lecture/lecture, group work, discussion, feedback, lecture with activating methods, work assignments with feedback, group exercises, case solutions, practical exercises

Final exam