Foundation in Paediatrics 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

This subject is designed to promote the integration of theoretical and practical aspects of Paediatric nursing to support safe practice for patients presenting to practice settings where they will be the recipients of care delivered by nurses who are beginning level specialty practitioners.

Students will explore the impact of hospitalisation on children, understand beginning assessment of the paediatric patient and common paediatric conditions responsible for presentation to hospital. In particular this subject will focus on basic nutritional requirements and fluid and electrolyte maintenance of the child, and principles of growth and development, which underpin accurate assessment of the newborn, infant and preschooler.

Interventions initiated by nurses at a beginning level of practice will be described in terms of the research evidence underpinning practice as well as the technical knowledge that is a pre-requisite for skill development. Students engage in field practice to address learning objectives focussing on the application of theoretical knowledge to skill development and the practice of caring for patients in the paediatric setting.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students will be expected to be able to demonstrate their beginning specialty nursing practice through:

• integration of the theoretical content covered within the subject to develop new knowledge that supports safe practice as a beginning specialty nurse in Paediatrics.
• the ability to integrate knowledge and skills learnt in the subject to recognise and plan a response to patients experiencing alterations to health and wellness that occur in the specific context of Paediatrics;
• the ability to understand and evaluate specialised interventions as described in the subject content to provide a foundation for participating in the delivery of care at the beginning level of Paediatric nursing practice;
• the capacity to use skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directed learning to apply knowledge learnt in the theoretical component of the subject to beginning level paediatric nursing clinical practice;
• an understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area;
• the ability to apply scientific knowledge to understand skills and techniques applicable to the specialist area.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following generic skills of the Melbourne graduate and postgraduate coursework student:

• an understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area;
• the ability to apply scientific knowledge to understand skills and techniques applicable to the specialist area;
• a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in oral and written modes of communication;
• a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.

This subject has a multi-media tutorial component delivered via the University's on-line Learning Management System (LMS). Students must have access to appropriate computer facilities and the Internet.

The minimum computer hardware and software specifications for the subject are consistent with the University's guidelines on the expected standard of computer equipment (http://www.unimelb.edu.au/student/CompStd.htm):

No special computer skills are required. Students are required to have skills consistent with the Universitys Statement of Basic Expectations of Student Computer Skills : http://www.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/stuskills.html which includes basic knowledge of computer operating systems, word-processing skills, email use, and the internet. Specifically students need to be able to write, edit and save an essay on the computer and be competent in the use of standard WWW browsers and should be able to use information searching techniques.