Assessment and Mental State - Simulation Course - June 27th

This is a one-day interprofessional course aimed at psychiatric nurses, support workers, psychologists, social workers and all allied health professionals who are required to undertake assessments and perform mental state examinations as part of their role.

The course aims to revisit the important parts of history taking and refresh mental state examination skills, including how to ask difficult questions about a persons experiences and symptoms.

Participants will be involved in a series of simulated scenarios using actors as well as a mini teaching sessions to refresh their knowledge of assessment and mental state examination. Debriefing models are used to assist participants to learn positively and constructively from the experience.

Learning Objectives:

After attending this course, you will:

• be able to carry out a comprehensive assessment, including thinking about a patients strengths
• be able to accurately identify and document a range of psychopathology, suggestive of different mental illness
• be able to develop communication strategies helpful in asking challenging or sensitive questions.
• have increase confidence in conducting a mental state examination
• have increase confidence in conducting a suicide risk assessment
• be able to practice communication using the SBARD model