2026 NFDN 2007 PPT Guide: Introduction to Mental Health Nursing ALL UNITS COVERED NorQuest College
NFDN 2OO7 PPT GUIDE UNIT 1.1
1. Introduction to Mental Health Nursing Mental health nursing focuses on the promotion of mental health, prevention of mental illness, and care of individuals experiencing mental health disorders. Psychiatric nurses work across hospital, community, and outpatient settings, emphasizing therapeutic relationships, ethical practice, and human rights (Kunyk & Peternelij-Taylor, 2023). Mental health exists on a continuum, meaning individuals can move between wellness and illness throughout their lives.
2. History of Mental Health Care Pre-19th Century • • • •
Care provided primarily by families Wealthier families hired caregivers Severe cases placed in prisons or poorhouses Mental illness viewed as moral or spiritual failure
18th–19th Century: The Asylum Era • • •
Rise of madhouses / insane asylums Focus on confinement rather than treatment Often overcrowded, unsafe, and inhumane