Contemporary Nursing

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

None

None

None

This subject requires students to actively and safely contribute to clinical activities. Students who think 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 further develop their knowledge and understanding of unique health issues affecting specific individuals and patient populations cared for across diverse and contemporary practice contexts. The subject explores contemporary models of nursing practice, inter-professional care and primary health care designed to address the health care needs of specific populations. Examples of specific health issues addressed in this subject may include: communicable diseases; men’s and women’s health; child/adolescent health; trauma care; end-of-life care; disaster nursing; refugee health; sexual health; and bariatrics. The contemporary and expanding role of nurses will be explored across diverse contexts such as general practice nursing, community nursing, school nursing, case management and the nurse practitioner.

The subject aims to enable students to develop deeper and broader knowledge about health issues affecting individual patients and their families as they interact with the health care system. Students may engage with the care of patients in any number of settings locally, nationally and in the international context such as:

• Mental health care

• Acute/critical care

• Child, adolescent and family care

• Older adult care

• Cancer and palliative care

• Practice nursing

• Community nursing

Students will develop specific individualised learning objectives related to their chosen area of practice and to their personally identified learning needs. Throughout the subject, for all students, emphasis will be placed on health assessment for implementing and evaluating physical and psychosocial care across the illness/wellness trajectory and the enhancement of knowledge and skills in therapeutic communication will be promoted. Students will become familiar with interventions required to establish and maintain patient stability, and interventions initiated by nurses at a beginning level of practice will be examined in terms of the research evidence underpinning practice. The ethico/legal aspects of care particularly relevant to the chosen area of engagement will be explored.

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

• demonstrate the ability to understand, apply and evaluate assessment data of patients experiencing alterations to health status in the chosen area of specialty nursing;
• demonstrate the ability to adjust care and priorities in changing situations;
• demonstrate knowledge of pharmacology and medication administration specific to the chosen area of specialty nursing
• demonstrate competent skills in therapeutic nurse/patient communication;
• understand the legislation and funding arrangements relevant to the chosen area of speciality nursing and the implications of this for leadership and management skills when a Division 1 Registered Nurse;
• apply scientific knowledge to explain the rationale for interventions applicable to the chosen specialty area;
• use research findings to support or critique current practice in the chosen specialty area of practice;
• understand the impact of the chosen area of specialty nursing on resource management and sustainability.

In addition, students should be able to demonstrate that they have met their own individualised learning objectives.

• 500 word learning contract (20%) – due week 6
• 1500 word Reflection (80%) - due week 1 of examination period
• Professional Placement Experience Placement Appraisal (Pass/Fail) - due week 1 of examination period
• Presentation of Learning's (5 minutes) Last week of semester - Hurdle

Attendance at all professional placement experience days is compulsory

Students are directed to seek information specific to the location of their specialty placement

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of these subjects, students should be able to demonstrate:

• the capacity for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation;
• critical thinking and analytical skills;
• an openness to new ideas;
• cultural sensitivity;
• planning and time management skills;
• the ability to work effectively in an interprofessional team;
• the ability to communicate knowledge through classroom and web-based discussions and written material;
• a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in written modes of communication;
• a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.