Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice AND NRSG525 Evidence-based, Person-centred Family Care in Specialty Nursing Practice
Unit rationale, description and aim
Specialist clinical nursing requires a foundation understanding of scientific concepts that support the management and care of people who present to the specialist clinical setting with chronic, acute and complex health conditions. These scientific concepts support evidence based best practice and clinical reasoning in the clinical setting. In this unit, students will further develop their understanding of the pathophysiology associated with disease processes and deviations from the norm within their area of specialty practice. These concepts assist student analysis, and evaluation of the disease process and impact on patients and their family, that support an understanding of the application and development of an appropriate plan of care using the nursing process.
This unit is required by students to assist their understanding of the pathophysiology of complex conditions and diseases and the scientific concepts underlying complex treatments. Selection of content is based on best practice in the management and care of patients presenting with complex health conditions with consideration of contemporary treatment methods. The unit compliments the learning on the foundation nursing concepts including lifespan, bioscience, person centred care and ethically accountable practice. A holistic approach to care warrants a consideration of rehabilitative and/or palliative approaches to care in the specialist clinical setting.
This unit aims to support students in the evaluation of scientific concepts that support best practice in the clinical setting. On completion of this unit, students will acquire the knowledge and skill to deliver a person-centred and evidence-based quality care.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Analyse developmental and pathophysiological concepts related to complex health problems in clinical practice | GC1, GC2, GC7, GC11 |
| LO2 | Evaluate the science underpinning specialist nursing management of complex health problems in the clinical setting | GC1, GC2, GC7, GC8, GC11 |
| LO3 | Critically analyse and apply the evidence underpinning curative, rehabilitative, preventative and/or palliative approaches to care for patients in clinical practice | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
| LO4 | Evaluate best practice treatment and management options available for patients and how they influence health and wellbeing | GC1, GC3, GC4, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
Content
Topics will include:
- Complex health conditions
- pathophysiology
- developmental
- Bioscience concepts underlying complex health problems
- Diagnosis
- Treatment (pharmacological and non- pharmacological)
- Rehabilitative palliative, curative or preventative approaches to care
- Management of complex health conditions
- Evidence based practice.
- The nursing process.
- Patient health and wellbeing.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Teaching and learning strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aim and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit as well as to the broader course learning outcomes. This unit is offered via the ACU Online platform and uses active learning to support students to focus on their Speciality nursing practice and apply developmental and pathophysiological concepts and evidence-based practice to support the management of complex conditions with an emphasis on the impact on a patient’s health and wellbeing. Students will also explore rehabilitative, preventative and/or palliative approaches to care for patients in the specialist clinical setting. In constructing specialist nursing knowledge and skills, students will evaluate care strategies that they will be able to apply within the specialist clinical setting. Students are required to complete online activities and assessments to demonstrate the application of knowledge. The learning and teaching strategy used in this unit allows flexibility for students while ensuring they have expert support. These modes of delivery assist students in linking knowledge, understanding and skills to the specialist nursing context, and to develop shared meanings through online experiential reflections and discussions.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to successfully complete this unit, a minimum combined total grade of all assessment tasks of 50% is required to pass this unit.
The assessment strategy used in this unit encourages the progressive development of students’ scientific knowledge in relation to their area of specialty clinical practice to enable them to meet the unit learning outcomes. To develop the knowledge and skills required to achieve the learning outcomes and graduate attributes, students first demonstrate knowledge of best practice by responding to a complex health problem through the online discussion forums in the learning management system. Students’ understanding of the science underpinning the complex health conditions in the specialist clinical setting is further developed through the development and presentation of an electronic poster. The final assessment will consolidate the unit learnings by students, addressing the pathophysiological concepts that support a wholistic approach to treatment and management of a patient within the specialist clinical setting using current evidence-based practice.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Quiz Enables students to demonstrate acquired foundation scientific knowledge and concepts related to the specialty nurse through the completion of the online learning modules. | 20% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Assessment Task 2: e-Poster Enables students to analyse the pathophysiological concepts and scientific underpinnings of common presentations within their specialty. This is a collaborative activity where students will be required to participate in a discussion forum to synthesise ideas. | 40% | LO1, LO2 |
Assessment Task 3: Case Study Enables students to apply learned scientific knowledge and demonstrate critical thinking skills, analysis and synthesis of evidence in relation to a complex presentation in the specialty clinical setting. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Representative texts and references
Recommended text
Greenhalgh, T., Bidwell, J., Crisp, E., Lambros, A., & Warland, J. (2020). Understanding research methods for evidence-based practice in health (Second edition. ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Hoffmann, T., Bennett, S., & Del Mar, C. (2017). Evidence-based practice across the health professions (3rd ed.). Elsevier Australia.
Knights, K. M., Darroch, S., Rowland, A., & Bushell, M. (2023). Pharmacology for health professionals (6th edition. ed.). Elsevier Australia.
McCance, K. L., Huether, S. E., Brashers, V. L., & Rote, N. S. (2019). Pathophysiology : the biologic basis for disease in adults and children (Eighth edition ed.). Elsevier.
Patton, K. T., & Thibodeau, G. A. (2019). Anatomy & physiology (Adapted International edition. ed.). Elsevier.
Taylor, K., & Guerin, P. (2019). Health care and Indigenous Australians : cultural safety in practice (Third edition. ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Other recommended references
Recommendations for further texts will be made in the extended unit outline based on the specialty of the students enrolled in the unit.