Paediatric 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 (Paediatric 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 specialty nursing to support safe practice in caring for infants and children who are acutely or critically ill. They will learn the scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice as well as the technical skills necessary to complete an admission assessment, understand admission findings, and identify infants and children at risk of life threatening complications. The underpinning biological basis and evidence based principles behind treatment and symptom management (including pharmacology) of diseases/illnesses commonly treated in each critical care practice setting will be described.

Students will be expected to be able to demonstrate their specialty nursing practice through:

• an understanding of the theoretical content covered within the subject to develop new knowledgethat supports safe practice as a specialty nurse in the paediatric intensive care practice setting;

• the ability to understand and evaluate specialised interventions as described in the theoretical content to provide a foundation for participating in the delivery of care in the acute and critical caresetting;

• the capacity to use skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directedlearning to apply knowledge learnt in the subject to acute and critical care nursing clinical practice;

• an understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area;

• the ability to apply scientific knowledge to understand skills and techniques applicable to thespecialist area.

Written assignment (1000 words) Due Week 5 - 20%
Written assignment (2000 words) Due Week 10 - 30%
4 Closed Book tests (Week 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 postgraduate 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