Due to their trusted relationship with patients, healthcare professionals are frequently asked to help identify and treat child mental health conditions. The new Guidelines for Adolescent Depression - Primary Care (GLAD-PC) offers many strategies for professionals to help youth with depression, but many healthcare professionals often have limited training in these areas. Recognizing this growing need to train our next generation of nurses and other healthcare professionals about child mental health topics, the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth collaborated with the KU School of Nursing to develop an online Youth Depression course. The course builds on the TeleHelp clinic, KUCTT's long-standing telemedicine clinic for youth depression. Both the online course and the TeleHelp clinic have been generously supported through the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
The TeleHelper course is presented by telepsychologist Eve-Lynn Nelson, PhD, nurse practitioner Ellen Rindner, PhD, and guest lecturers from many disciplines. The course features online, problem-based learning strategies to teach students about depression assessment and treatment, using case vignettes to illustrate the many ways young people present with depression. The online format has helped reach a broad audience, including traditional nursing students and those who are currently practicing while working towards their bachelor's degree.
The instructors are particularly excited to have students from across Kansas and throughout the globe access the course online. See what two of last semester's students had to say about the course:
I thought this course was great! I have a previous bachelor's degree, am an out-of-state student and planning to have a career as a mental health nurse. . . . The online course really facilitated my needs because I worked full-time this semester and was able to complete all course work. I was also out of the country for two months ... and the professors of the course were flexible and able to work around my schedule.
[A Student Practicing as a Registered Nurse While Earning a Bachelor's Degree]
Because I'm [a] registered nurse and an Army Nurse Corps officer serving in Afghanistan I needed access to a course that would allow me to complete my BSN degree without a requirement to come to campus for course work... I was able to do my course work when I was off duty and correspond with instructors and students about issues of concern throughout the course.
[A Traditional Student Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree]
In addition to online availability from the KU School of Nursing, the curriculum can be tailored to fit other training needs, ranging from an hour lecture to a semester experience. Please contact Dr. Eve-Lynn Nelson or course assistant Thao Bui to talk more about training options for healthcare students, professionals in practice, school personnel and others.
[Letters reprinted with the kind permission of the students.]
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The University of Kansas Medical Center