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. 

2025 10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 1Online Unscheduled
  • ACU Term 3Online Unscheduled

Prerequisites

NRSG524 Advanced Pathophysiology for Specialty Nursing Practice

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.

Analyse developmental and pathophysiological conce...

Learning Outcome 01

Analyse developmental and pathophysiological concepts related to complex health problems in clinical practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC7, GC11

Evaluate the science underpinning specialist nursi...

Learning Outcome 02

Evaluate the science underpinning specialist nursing management of complex health problems in the clinical setting
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC7, GC8, GC11

Critically analyse and apply the evidence underpin...

Learning Outcome 03

Critically analyse and apply the evidence underpinning curative, rehabilitative, preventative and/or palliative approaches to care for patients in clinical practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC10, GC11, GC12

Evaluate best practice treatment and management op...

Learning Outcome 04

Evaluate best practice treatment and management options available for patients and how they influence health and wellbeing
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: 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.

Assessment strategy and rationale

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. To pass NRSG544 Clinical Nursing: Advanced Concepts in the Acute and Chronic Care, students must demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Quiz Enables students to demo...

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.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 2: e-Poster Enables students to ...

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.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 3: Case Study Enables students t...

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.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

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.

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. 

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