This course is designed to introduce the student to the foundational concepts of providing mental healthcare to patients experiencing psychiatric problems within different healthcare environments. This course offers the student an opportunity to provide nursing care that promotes emotional, mental and social well-being of the patient and significant others. Emphasis is placed on the practical nurse’s role as an effective member of a multidisciplinary mental health team. The use of the nursing process promotes clinical thinking/clinical reasoning in the care of patients with alterations in mental health. The student’s knowledge of the bio psychosocial and cognitive aspects of the individual’s development throughout the lifespan is emphasized. The clinical experience in different healthcare environments provides an opportunity to become aware of various modalities of care and use of self as a therapeutic tool.