Clinical Nursing 3

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

Students are expected to devote approximately 12 hours in self directed study per week to this subject. A further 24 hours/week is required for scheduled clinical placement.

514225 Biomedical Science and Nursing 2 and 514226 Clinical Nursing 2.

This subject requires students to actively and safely contribute to clinical activities. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Nursing Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

In this subject students will further develop an understanding of episodic acute care of complex patients and utilise a coordinated and integrated approach to health care delivery. It focuses on concepts such as pre-admission services and processes, admission and readmission including emergency admissions, discharge planning, care management, transition issues, and issues affecting patients/families/carers. Students will examine the dimensions of the nursing role in the delivery of health services for individuals requiring acute care. They will address the assessment, procedural, therapeutic and educational role of the nurse in the interdisciplinary team.

In the clinical skills laboratory students will practise procedural skills in the nursing care of acutely ill patients including complex wound dressings, central venous catheter management, venipuncture, management of the artificial airway, underwater seal drainage and stomal care. Students will develop skills in advanced life support and cardiac monitoring.

In the clinical practicum under the guidance of clinical educators and mentors, students will gain experience in settings that enable them to meet the learning objectives of this subject.

At the completion of this subject students will be able to:

• understand the dimensions of the nursing role in the context of acute care;
• understand key concepts in facilitating the care of complex patients;
• further develop physical, psychosocial, contextual and learning needs assessment skills in contributing to the care of patients in acute care;
• further develop clinical reasoning, problem-framing and solving skills in the context of acute care;
• contribute to planning care for patients in the acute care setting incorporating the principles of intercultural sensitivity and understanding and an evidence-based approach;
• communicate effectively with patients, families, peers and members of the health care team;
• accurately and professionally document assessment findings and therapeutic interventions;
• understand legal requirements for medication administration;
• demonstrate competency in the calculation and administration of drugs;
• further develop knowledge of pharmacological management pertinent to acute care; and
• apply the skills of information seeking, retrieval, evaluation, critical thinking and problem solving to selected case scenarios.

1. One 2-hour written examination (30%) - At the end of semester
2. One 1500-word assignment (20%) - Due week 8
3. One 10-minute class presentation (10%) - Due week 12
4. Clinical practicum appraisals - 40% - Due end of semester
5. Pass (100%) in drug calculation test - hurdle requirement
6. Submission of psychiatric nursing appraisal tool - hurdle requirement
7. Submission of a clinical practice portfolio - hurdle requirement

Students must achieve an aggregate score of at least 50% in the subject and must pass all assessments except the 10-minute presentation to achieve a pass in the subject.

Brown, D., & Edwards, H. (2004). Lewis' medical-surgical nursing. Sydney: Mosby

Frisch, N., & Frisch, L. (2006). Psychiatric mental health nursing. (3rd ed.). USA: Delmar/Thomson Learning.

Levitt-Jones, T. & Bourgeois, S. (2007). The clinical placement: an essential guide for nursing students. Churchill - Livingstone/Elsevier.: Sydney

Perrin, R. (2007). Pocket guide to APA style (2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin College: Boston

Tollefson J (2007). Clinical psychomotor skills: assessment tools for nursing student (3rd ed). Thompson: Australia

Stedman's medical dictionary for the health professions and nursing. Australian and New Zealand Edition (5th ed). (2005). Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins: Philadelphia

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of this subject students will be able to demonstrate:

• the capacity for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation;
• communication of knowledge using written and oral presentation methods;
• intercultural sensitivity;
• planning and time management skills;
• team work and leadership skills;
• an openness to new ideas;
• critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills