Paediatric Nursing Practice

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 (Paediatrics). 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 provides students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge gained in the theoretical subjects with clinical practice in the paediatric setting. The subject provides a comprehensive approach to paediatric nursing care through understanding principles of illness/health management relating to the infant, child, adolescent and family. The students develop skills of assessment and management principles which enable them to progress to a more advanced level of practice. Students are given the opportunity to plan and coordinate care for patients with a wide variety of problems. There is a continued emphasis on scientific principles and research evidence underpinning practice and further developing of skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, rational inquiry and self-directed learning to solve patient management problems in specialty practice. The practical component is in the form of a learning contract whereby students address learning objectives. Learning objectives focus on undertaking accurate assessment of the paediatric patient and relating the underlying physiological and pathophysiological processes to assessment data; applying theoretical knowledge to technical skill development; developing evidence-based evaluations to the
practice of caring for patients in the paediatric setting and developing skills in sharing knowledge with peers.

• Undertaking accurate assessment of the paediatric patient and relating the underlying
physiological and pathophysiological processes to assessment data;
• Apply the theoretical principles underpinning infant, child and adolescent
emotional and cognitive) when interacting with children and families;
• Integration of the theoretical content to plan and implement appropriate nursing care in the
paediatric setting;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of nursing care and specialised interventions utilised in the paediatric
setting and adapt the plan of care according to changing priorities; and
• Participate effectively as a team member within the clinical setting.

• 6 x Clinical Skills Assessments (Distributed evenly across the year) - Hurdle
• A minimum of 2 clinical performance appraisals (one per semester) - Hurdle
• 1000 word reflective essay due Week 30 - 20%
• Patient Assessment and Care Plan x 2 (2000 words per plan) (one per semester) - 80%

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of this subject, students should be able to demonstrate:
• the capacity for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation;
• critical thinking and analytical skills;
• an openness to new ideas;
• the ability to communicate knowledge through web based activities.
• the ability to apply scientific principles to their clinical practice;