Overview

About Nursing Mental Health & Community Concepts Second Edition

Nursing Mental Health and Community Concepts Second Edition examines nursing care for individuals with specific mental health and substance-use disorders, while also introducing the nurse’s role in community health assessments and caring for vulnerable populations. With an emphasis on holistic, client-centered care, this resource equips nursing students with the knowledge and skills to address mental health challenges and support community health initiatives. Nursing care focuses on stress-management techniques, healthy coping strategies, and preventative interventions to promote mental well-being. Interactive learning activities and real-world scenarios are included to help students apply concepts to practice, making this an essential guide for those preparing to work in mental health and community healthcare settings.

Second Edition Updates

This is the second edition of the Nursing Mental Health & Community Concepts OER textbook that has been developed specifically for prelicensure nursing students. Content is based on the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Nursing Mental Health & Community Concepts course (543-114), the 2023 NCLEX-RN Test Plan,^[1] the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Education Council’s Crosswalk Toolkit: Defining and Using Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Education,^[2] and the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act.^[3]

Overall Revisions

• Learning objectives were updated based on revised WTCS state curriculum.
• Content, including DSM-5 criteria and definitions, was updated with content from DSM-5-TR.
• Content based on the ANA Code of Ethics was updated to reflect the 2025 edition.
• Hyperlinks to supplementary information were updated.
• Nursing process sections were standardized across all chapters based on content originally included in Chapter 4 (“Application of the Nursing Process to Mental Health Care”). The NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model steps were included in parentheses next to the steps of the nursing process (e.g., Recognize Cues, Analyze Cues, Generate Solutions, Take Action, and Evaluate Outcomes). The “Assessment” sections were standardized and include Mental Status Examination, Psychosocial Assessment, a sample PQRSTU assessment with client responses for assessing the reason they are seeking health care, Suicide and Self-Injury Screening, Cultural Assessment, Spiritual Assessment with sample client responses, and Life Span Considerations. The “Implementation” sections include tables summarizing nursing interventions based on categories of the APNA Implementation Standard and common physiological concerns. Communication tips were also included with rationale.
• New Next Generation-style case studies were added to every chapter to help students develop clinical judgment and prepare for the NCLEX.
• Several supplementary YouTube videos were added to enhance student comprehension of the content.

Detailed Revisions

A comprehensive detailed list of revisions can be found using the link below:

• Open the Nursing Mental Health Second Edition revision details

Licensing/Terms of Use

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Suggested Attribution Statement

Unless otherwise noted, below is a suggested attribution statement for this resource:

Ernstmeyer, K. and Christman, E. (Eds.). (2025). Nursing Mental Health and Community Concepts 2e. Open RN | WisTech Open. https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/nursingmhcc/

Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer

This book was developed through the WisTech Open project and supported by funds from WTCS. The first edition was funded by the U.S. Department of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF). However, this content does not necessarily represent the policy of WTCS, and you should not assume endorsement by the state or federal government. More information about the WisTech Open project can be found at wistechopen.org.

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