Courses > Nursing Assessment > Mental Health
NURSING ASSESSMENT
Target Audience: Nurses, CEPI & Students
During any initial clinical assessment, the cardinal symptoms act as real guideposts, guiding the nurse in the rapid identification of worrying situations and in the orientation of the diagnosis.
Symptoms
Key findings to identify for effective and safe patient care. Recognizing and interpreting them is a foundational pillar of modern nursing practice.
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Symptoms covered in TRAINING
- Anxiety, sadness, irritability
- Sleep disorders, insomnia
- Behavioural disorders
- Suicidal ideation
- Automutilation
- Hallucinations, delusions
- Impaired judgment
- Cognitive disorder
Mental Health Assessment
The Mental Health and Mental State Assessment training provides nurses and health care professionals with the essential skills to conduct a thorough clinical assessment of mental disorders. Through a hybrid format of 8 hours and 40 minutes, this training draws on the references of the Merck Manual, the OIIQ and the AQIISM to teach the initial mental health check-up, the complete examination of mental state, and the assessment of depressive, anxiety and psychotic disorders. Through interactive clinical cases, explanatory videos and clinical tools, you will learn how to detect the signs of psychological distress, how to intervene rigorously and how to collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary context.
OBJECTIVES
TRAINING
SKILLS DEVELOPED
MODULE CONTENT
TRAINING CONTENT
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8h40 of training in hybrid mode
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Educational resources:
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8 explanatory video clips (≈ 2 hours)
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5 In-Depth Reference Articles (Merck Manual, OIIQ)
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10 downloadable resources: mental condition assessment grids, clinical note templates, nursing diagnosis examples.
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- In-person activity (4 hours): Integration workshops and clinical simulations. Interactive case analysis exercises and formative self-assessments.
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Certificate of Completion: Issued at the end of the training.
FORMAT: HYBRID
THEORETICAL COMPONENT: Asynchronous – E-learning (4h40)
PRACTICAL COMPONENT: In-person (4h)
- February 19, 2026 and May 28, 2026
- From 4 pm to 8 pm
COURSE CODE: EVAL-1830
MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 8 Participants
LANGUAGE: French
PRICE: $305.00 +tx
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the training, the participant will be able to:
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Describe the components of a comprehensive mental health assessment according to nursing and psychiatric standards.
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Identify the key elements of the initial mental health check-up: history, cognitive, affective and behavioural functioning.
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Recognize the signs of psychological distress (anxiety, sadness, irritability, sleep disorders, withdrawal, agitation, suicidal ideation, hallucinations, delusions).
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Perform a structured mental state examination (appearance, orientation, mood, language, thought, perception, judgment, cognition, insight).
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Use appropriate screening tools (anxiety, depression, suicide risk scales).
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Apply clinical interviewing techniques to establish an effective therapeutic relationship.
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Intervene safely with people with behavioural disorders or a suicidal crisis.
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Collaborate in the planning of the interdisciplinary care plan and document according to professional standards.
DEVELOPED SKILLS
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Conduct a structured clinical assessment of mental status according to best practices.
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Demonstrate observational, communication, and analytical skills in mental health.
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Apply interview techniques focused on counselling and risk prevention.
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Identify and interpret abnormalities in judgment, thinking, and behaviour.
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Use the suicide risk and psychotic disorders identification grids.
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Formulate consistent nursing hypotheses and ensure complete documentation.
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Collaborate with psychosocial and medical stakeholders for comprehensive patient care.
TRAINING PLAN
HYBRID MODE
I- ASYNCHRONOUS PART (E-learning)
Duration: 4h40
Module 1: Foundations of Mental Health and Clinical Terminology
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Key concepts: mental health, mental illness, resilience, risk and protective factors
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Introduction to Psychopathology and Diagnostic Classifications (DSM-5-TR)
Module 2: Psychiatric anamnesis and initial assessment
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Structure of the clinical interview: background, triggers, current functioning
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Assessment of behaviour, speech and thinking
Module 3: Systematic Examination of Mental Status
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Domain Assessment:
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Appearance and Behavior
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Mood and affect
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Language, Thought, and Perception (hallucinations, delusions)
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Judgment, orientation, memory and cognition
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Insight and self-criticism
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Module 4: Major Mental Disorders
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Mood disorders: major depression, dysthymia, bipolarity
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Anxiety and sleep disorders
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Schizophrenia and Related Disorders
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Self-Harm Behaviours: Ideation, Planning, Acting
Module 5: Suicide Risk Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Emergencies
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Recognize verbal and nonverbal cues of suicide risk
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Intervene safely in crisis or agitation situations
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Apply the Interdisciplinary Emergency Communication Protocol
II- IN-PERSON PART
Duration: 4 hours
Module 6: Clinical Cases and Mock Psychiatric Interviews
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Observation and identification of signs: anxiety, irritability, withdrawal, sleep disorders
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Role plays: empathetic interviewing, active listening attitude
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Interaction with various profiles (affective, psychotic, behavioural disorders)
Module 7: Clinical Analysis and Formulation of Nursing Judgment
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Review of the complete mental examination from clinical vignettes
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Development of clinical reasoning and nursing diagnosis
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Applying the Mental Health Care Approach
Module 8: Documentation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
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Writing the mental state assessment score (SEL, SOAP, PTI)
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Communication within the team: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers
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Intervention plan, follow-up and continuity of care
Evaluation of participation: active presence, completion of online activities and involvement in simulations.
Certificate of completion given at the end of the training.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Be a registered nurse or nursing student.
- Basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology and clinical method.
- Access to a computer or tablet with an Internet connection for the asynchronous part.
- Mandatory participation in practical workshops to validate skills.
- Motivation to deepen clinical evaluation and to invest in professional reflection.
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OUR NURSE INSTRUCTORS
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Professional supervision: Our experienced nursing trainers provide personalized educational and clinical support.
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Academic platform: Access to a secure and interactive learning space, facilitating the follow-up of modules, exchanges and remote support.
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Validated resources: Provision of educational documents, practical tools and repositories to download, all validated by our experts.
READY TO TAKE YOUR PRACTICE TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
Broaden your field of expertise and develop your clinical judgment.
Join a training course designed by passionate nurses, where science, humanity and integration meet to strengthen your expertise and professional impact.
Inspection
Visual observation of the patient’s body looking for abnormalities in shape, color, posture, or behavior (first step of clinical exam).
Auscultation
Listening to sounds produced by internal organs (heart, lungs, intestines) via stethoscope to assess function or detect anomalies.
Palpation
Touching areas of the body to evaluate texture, temperature, volume, or tissue sensitivity; identifies masses, pain, or internal abnormalities.
Percussion
Tapping areas of the body to listen for resonance and determine the density of underlying structures (air, fluid, solid).
Analysis
Clinical reasoning step where the professional interprets the gathered signs and symptoms to form hypotheses or identify priority health issues.
Intervention
Execution of planned nursing actions to correct, improve, or stabilize the patient’s condition based on analysis and care goals.
Symptom based Approach
This system concerns the musculoskeletal system, mobility and joint pain.
- Muscle or joint pain
- Stiffness, swelling, redness of the joints
- Decreased range of motion or strength
- Lameness, difficulty walking or performing certain gestures
- Deformities, suspected fractures
