Illness Experience and Nursing Care

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

None

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's courses. Students who think their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

This subject encourages students to explore and reflect upon their own personal and professional values, past experiences and the social, cultural and political context of collaborative practice. Students will explore the impact that diagnosis, treatment and prognosis may have on the person and their family when experiencing health alterations. The role of the nurse in the establishing, maintaining and terminating a therapeutic relationship will be considered. Using experiential learning, students will develop general interaction and therapeutic communication skills that enable them to perform nursing assessments and engage in psychosocial support interventions which are sensitive to the cultural background, emotions, cues and education needs of the patient and their family.

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

• identify their own and others cultural beliefs, attitudes and values regarding health & illness;
• discuss the impact of psychological processes and attitudes on the nurse/patient relationship;
• identify and develop professional communication skills which are sensitive to persons, culture, illness experience, and family context;
• discuss and identify common behavioural responses in clients experience illness &/or receiving health care.

1. 1000 word assignment (40%) – Due week 6
2. 1500 word assignment (60%) – Due week 12

Students must achieve an aggregate score of 50% to achieve a pass in this subject

Perrin, R. (2009). Pocket guide to APA style (3rded.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin College.

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

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• the capacity for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation;
• critical thinking and analytical skills;
• an openness to new ideas;
• cultural safety;
• planning and time management skills;
• the ability to communicate knowledge through classroom and web-based discussions and written material.