Introduction

This textbook was developed specifically for prelicensure nursing students. It is an open educational resource with Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 International licensing. The ebook and downloadable versions are free to use, share, print, copy, and download.

Content was originally created for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Nursing Mental Health and Community Concepts course (543-110), the NCLEX-RN Test Plan,^[1] and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Education Council’s Crosswalk Toolkit: Defining and Using Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Education.^[2]

This version was then edited and adapted by Dr. Terri Farmer at the University of Arizona College of Nursing for classroom use in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Mental health is discussed while emphasizing stress management techniques, healthy coping strategies, referrals to community resources, and other preventative interventions. Nursing care for individuals with specific mental health and substance use disorders is examined, and the nurse’s role in caring for vulnerable populations is introduced.

The following YouTube video provides a quick overview of how to navigate the online version of the original textbook.