Preventive Health Care

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

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Students are required to have access to a computer with e-mail application and a web browser. Technical support is not available from the University of Melbourne in setting up such a system.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website : http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject will explore the theory and practice of health promotion and illness prevention in primary care. It will discuss the social model of health that recognises that a range of social, cultural and economic factors influence people’s health and well-being. It will focus on weight, diet, and exercise as well as on smoking and other risk behaviours and their impact on health. It will also prepare students to undertake health assessments. Strategies for empowering individual patients and communities to maintain a healthy lifestyle will be explored.

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

• Critically appraise current theories on promoting health in primary care
• Describe the social model of health and its application in primary care
• Understand current evidence based strategies for promoting healthy weight and lifestyle and smoking cessation
• Appreciate the facilitators and barriers to maintaining a healthy lifestyle
• Explain key strategies for empowering patients to maintain a healthy weight and diet and to cease smoking
• Conduct health assessments

• 1,500 word written assignment, due mid semester (30%)
• 2,000 word written assignment, due end of semester (50%)
• Health assessment audit equivalent to 500 words, due mid-semester (20%)

Hurdle requirements:

• Reflective journal equivalent to 1000 words; in order to pass this hurdle requirement students must demonstrate that they have read and understood the materials related to the tasks and can apply the principles and evidence-based guidelines to the context in which they work; due end of semester (pass/fail hurdle requirement)
• Students must achieve a cumulative mark of at least 50% and a pass in the hurdle requirement in order to pass the subject.

None

St John W and Keleher H (2007) Community Nursing Practice: Theory, Issues and Skills, Allen and Unwin, Crows nest NSW

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

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

• enhanced critical thinking skills
• further enhanced clinical skills
• further developed written and oral communication skills

Students undertaking this subject via the Community Access Program (CAP) must provide all the following supporting documents when applying:

• Evidence of National Division 1 Registration
• Certified copies of academic transcript from undergraduate degree.
• Evidence of at least one year professional experience in a clinical setting (the provision of a CV is not sufficient; an example of valid evidence is a letter of reference or an employment contract).