Critical Care 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 (Critical 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/

In this subject students will clinically apply the theoretical principles in Applied Pathophysiology and Critical Care Nursing 1 and 2. To support comprehensive patient assessment, monitoring and care planning in specialty nursing practice. Students will learn to incorporate knowledge and evidence of psycho-social factors influencing patient outcomes to inform their clinical decision making in practice.

Students will engage in field practice and demonstrate competency in the specialty through the :
1. Integration of core principles covered in the subject and its pre-requisite, Applied Pathophysiology, (and ? Critical care 1 and 2) to develop practice knowledge that supports comprehensive patient assessment and monitoring;
2. application of knowledge and skills to recognise, prioritise and respond to patients experiencing acute alterations to health status;
3. evaluation of the effect of critical care nursing interventions in the delivery of safe competent nursing care;
4. application of skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and reflective practice to the delivery of specialist nursing care;

• 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.

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 oral and written modes of communication;
2. A capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.
3. Advanced competencies in areas of professional expertise and/or scholarship.
4. Advanced skills and techniques applicable to the discipline.
5. Well-developed problem-solving abilities in the discipline area, characterised by flexibility of approach.
6. An ability to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional literature in the discipline.
7. An appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge equips the student to offer leadership in the specialist area.