Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted in one of the Graduate Certificate in Nursing Practice (Neonatal Intensive Care). This subject is not available for students admitted in any other courses. Please contact the School of Melbourne Custom Programs for more information.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

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 programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Student Equity and Disability Support Team: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject is designed to promote an understanding of the theoretical aspects of Neonatal nursing to support safe practice in caring for neonatal patients. Students will explore the impact of hospitalisation on neonates and their families, and understand assessment of the neonatal patient and common neonatal conditions responsible for preterm delivery and care of the sick neonate in hospital. In particular this subject will focus on nutritional requirements, fluid and electrolyte maintenance of the neonate, neonatal respiratory illness, neonatal care and principles of growth and development, which underpin accurate assessment of the newborn and infant 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 and scientific knowledge that is a pre-requisite for skill development.

1. Students will be expected to be able to demonstrate their beginning specialty nursing practice through:
2. An understanding of the theoretical content covered within the subject to develop new knowledge that supports safe practice as a beginning specialty nurse in Neonates;
3. 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 Neonatal nursing practice;
4. 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 neonatal nursing clinical practice;
5. An understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area; and
6. The ability to apply scientific knowledge to understand skills and techniques applicable to the specialist area

Written assignment (1000 words) Week 5 - 20%
Written assignment (2000 words) Week 10 - 30%
4 Closed Book tests (Weeks 4, 7, 9, 12) - 50%

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following generic skills of the Melbourne graduate and graduate coursework student:
1. a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in written modes of communication;
2. a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.
3. An ability to evaluate and synthesize the research and professional literature in this discipline.