Introduction
In general, occasional anxiety may be regarded as a normal reaction, especially in response to extrinsic stimuli. However, constant, unreasonable, and overwhelming anxiety and the feeling of fear require professional intervention. Serving as a roadmap for students, this teaching plan aims to contribute to their successful understanding and learning of anxiety-related disorders included in the syllabus dedicated to mental health and psychiatric nursing. The teaching plan includes learning objectives, content online, and a rubric for students to provide them with a clear understanding of what should be learned during this lesson and how results will be evaluated.
Teaching Topic/Plan
Mental Health Nursing: Anxiety-Related Disorders
Level of Instruction
Junior undergraduate, Mid-program
Method/Mode of Teaching Delivery
Lecture with the use of the PowerPoint presentation with audio-visual components, reading materials
Learning Objectives
- By the end of the lesson, students should be able to give a definition of anxiety, list it, and explain its major characteristics.
- Students should be able to differentiate four degrees of anxiety.
- Students should know the body’s defense mechanisms and physiological responses related to anxiety.
- Students should be able to describe efficient methods and strategies of coping with anxiety.
- Students should identify and describe various anxiety-related disorders
- Students should learn what nursing intervention and treatment, including medications, patient teaching, and nursing implications, should be applied in the case of anxiety disorders.
Content Online
Anxiety may be regarded as a particular emotion that is characterized by a state of inner discomfort and turmoil. It is frequently accompanied by somatic complaints, nervous behavior, and rumination. It is normal to feel anxiety in response to a new situation when outcomes are unexpected. However, constant, overwhelming, and unreasonable anxiety signalizes the existence of a mental health disorder and requires medical intervention (Chorpita & Barlow, 2016). The major symptoms of anxiety imply the body’s physiological response and include rapid breathing or shortness of breath, increased heart rate, muscle tension, trembling, being easily fatigued, sweating, trouble concentrating, restlessness, and difficulties with falling asleep (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.).
In general, there are four major degrees of anxiety (The Recovery Village, 2021):
- Mild anxiety (Clinically non-significant anxiety that may affect professional, social, and emotional functioning);
- Moderate anxiety (Anxiety with more persistent symptoms that may last for several days);
- Severe anxiety (Clinically-significant anxiety that affects everyday functioning);
- Panic anxiety (It is regarded as one of the anxiety-related disorders).
Anxiety-related disorders are a common type of emotional disorders characterized by constant and high degrees of anxiety that may limit or even stop an individual’s daily activities (Holland, 2020). They include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (excessive worry that lasts for months)
- Panic disorder (unexpected panic attacks)
- Social anxiety disorder (fear of being judged)
- Phobia (excessive fear);
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (after a traumatic event);
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (irrational thoughts that cause repeated behaviors)
- Illness anxiety disorder (anxiety concerning health)
- Separation anxiety disorder (Fear of staying away from beloved ones or home)
Clinically insignificant anxiety may be managed with the help of therapy, exercises, and meditation. In turn, severe anxiety and anxiety-related disorders require psychotherapy and medication. The most efficient type of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which helps people change their response to anxiety and focus on confronting their fears (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). Medication includes the administration of anti-anxiety medicines, beta-blockers, and antidepressants. A competent health care provider should be able to define the presence of anxiety-related disorder in a patient, assign appropriate treatment, and educate both the patient and his or her family members on conditions and efficient ways of coping with it.
Teaching Strategies
Teaching will include the lecture with the use of the PowerPoint presentation, class discussions, questions to evaluate understanding, group tasks, and case studies.
Learning Activities
The teacher’s lecture with the use of the PowerPoint presentation will provide information in a comprehensive, visually appealing way. Moreover, students will be able to make notes using slides. Class discussions will provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the material and suggest new topics for further research. Questions will help the teacher to evaluate how students understood provided materials. Group tasks and case studies will provide students a chance to evaluate their understanding by themselves by explaining the material to other group members and applying their knowledge to real-life situations.
Plans for Individual Learning Differences
Visual – PowerPoint presentation, slides with bullet points
Audio – lecture, asking questions, class discussions
Reading/Writing- taking notes, written case studies
Kinesthetic- mini-breaks for students during which they will have an ability to move. In addition, working in a group will not limit students’ moves as well.
Evaluation Process
Both formative and summative methods through questioning and the observation of class discussions and case studies’ results will be used to evaluate students’ understanding and learning.
Prompt
Students will be provided with a case study where there will be a list of a patient’s symptoms and the situation’s descriptions. Their task will be to define where the patient has an anxiety-related disorder and which one and suggest appropriate intervention.
Total: /100
Conclusion
Students will learn about anxiety-related disorders through the lecture with the PowerPoint presentation, participating in class discussions, working in groups, and studying cases. The teacher will evaluate the level of their understanding by asking questions on the basis of the provided material.
References
Chorpita, B. F., & Barlow, D. H. (2016). The development of anxiety: The role of control in the early environment. In The Neurotic Paradox (1st ed.), Routledge.
Holland, K. (2020). Everything you need to know about anxiety disorders. Healthline. Web.
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Anxiety disorders. Web.
The Recovery Village. (2021). Different levels of anxiety. The Recovery Village. Web.