NRSG140 - Integrating Practice 2

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

For Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor or Nursing/Bachelor of Paramedicine students: NRSG139 Integrating Practice 1: Assessment in Health

Unit rationale, description and aim

In the nursing profession, it is a requirement that the nurse is able to link theory with practice and perform clinical duties which are underpinned by a theoretical understanding. To perform these skills well, the nurse must be able to reflect critically on their practice and appraise their performance to identify best practice moving forward. This unit is required by students to assist them to use theory to drive their clinical practice and to understand how practice is guided by a continual process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation - skills critical for the nurse to deliver best practice.

This unit enables students to draw on their previous learning in all subjects and integrate theoretical and practical knowledge gained in the course to date. Foundational nursing practice skills will be developed and extended through scenario based learning in the laboratory. Students will consolidate their theoretical knowledge through clinical experience comprising 80 hours.

The aim of this second 'Integrating Practice' unit is to build on students' previous and current learning to further contextualize their theoretical knowledge through clinical 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.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - apply the clinical reasoning cycle to the care of individuals or groups utilising a foundational knowledge of pathophysiology; (GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8)

LO2 - practice principles of quality and safety, quality use of medicines and caring when undertaking patient care and/or performing clinical responsibilities; (GA1, GA2)

LO3 - practice ethical, legal, cultural and professional principles when undertaking patient care and/or performing clinical responsibilities; (GA3)

LO4 - demonstrate effective oral, and written communication (including electronic) capabilities when undertaking patient care and/or clinical responsibilities; (GA9, GA10)

LO5 - apply the principles of teamwork, self-management when planning, implementing and evaluating patient care and/or clinical responsibilities; (GA7)

LO6 - reflect on their learning within a professional portfolio to evaluate effective learning and self-care strategies for themselves and others. (GA4, GA10)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

NMBA Standards for Practice

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Registered Nurse Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:

Content

Topics will include:

• Person-centred practice
• Application of person-centred practice in the provision of care:
• Reducing anxiety & distress related to assessment and investigations
• Recognising anxiety for all individuals in all illness contexts.
• Professional & therapeutic communication
• The Assessment Interview Continued (building on content from Integrated Practice unit 1)
• Documentation Principles of documentation clinical files/ electronic records/statutory requirements
• Charting (e.g. FBC, Vital Signs)
• Writing Nursing notes
• Clinical handover (ISBAR) Demonstration of a clinical handover process using the ISBAR - identification, situation, background, assessment & recommendation)
• Nursing assessment
• Applying the principles of a nursing assessment
• Introduction to conducting a focused assessment
• Investigations and Diagnostics (e.g. Urinalysis, X-rays, Blood tests, specimens)
• Revisiting and applying vital sign capabilities
• Demonstrating Psychological vital signs
• Risk assessments: falls, pressure injury, nutrition
• Provision, coordination & evaluation of care
• ADL’s (provision and coordination of care – application of Roper, Logan and Tierney Model of Nursing and recording and documentation)
• Basic oxygen delivery
• Hygiene
• Elimination
• Infection control
• Hand washing
• Asepsis
• Standard and additional precautions
• Introduction to wound management (simple wounds)
• Manual Handling & Assisting with Mobility
• Pressure intervention (including patient positioning)
• Deep vein thrombosis (movement and prevention of in ADL)
• Motivational Interviewing
• Quality use of medicines
• Drug scheduling & Storage
• Drug Administration (10 rights and 3 Checks)
• National Prescribing Chart
• Over the counter medications
• Introduction to Drug Calculations (Oral Tablets and Syrups) – Formative
• Managing Medications (oral/ophthalmic/topical)
• Focus on Ophthalmic & oral analgesics
• Health promotion & education
• Identifying opportunities for education, health promotion and behaviour change
• Diversity & cultural competence
• Diversity and culture in healthcare
• Applying cultural competence and safety in practice
• Professional capabilities
• Developing feedback skills
• Resilience
• Health care law: privacy and confidentiality
• Clinical leadership
• Introduction to Management and Leadership
• Clinical reasoning
• Applying Critical Thinking in practice
• Applying Clinical Reasoning 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Modes of delivery in this unit include lectures, laboratories, simulations, clinical placement, online activies and self-directed study. Consistent with adult learning principles, the teaching and learning strategies used within these modes of delivery will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to professional nursing practice. These strategies will also support students in meeting the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit and the broader course learning outcomes. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively with peers.

Students entering university need significant support to transition into a learning and teaching environment where they are required to drive their own learning. To guide students in their learning, feedback is required to identify what is being done well, what requires additional work and to identify progress toward required learning outcomes. Practicum assists students to link theory with its application. Located in the first year of the programme, this clinical unit includes significant face-to-face teaching hours to assist students in linking theory with practice. Lectures are utilised to convey content andcentral principles while laboratories and simulations deliver interactive learning sessions which assist students to apply theory to clinical practice while also providing an opportunity to establish community learning skills. The supervised clinical placement provides a safe environment where students can provide assisted person-centred care essential for successful graduate practice.  

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes and attain the graduate attributes. Competence whilst on clinical placement will be assessed with the ANSAT (Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool).

In real world practice, it is a requirement that the registered nurse have the ability to complete medication calculations with no errors. This requirement exists because errors in the calculations of drug dosages can have severe adverse health consequences for patients. This unit includes a mandatory pass on the ANSAT assessment of your clinical placement because in nursing, your professional competence is a necessary job requirement. Achieving pass as a standard for the skills portfolio is also mandatory. The skills portfolio will help with your employment as well as your continuing professional development which is an ongoing requirement for registration as a Registered Nurse. To pass this unit, all three hurdle tasks need to be completed successfully.

These assessments are required to build student knowledge and skills which, by the conclusion of this programme, will enable the student to graduate as a safe and effective nurse. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Crisp, J., Taylor, C., Douglas, C., & Rebeiro, G. (2016). Potter & Perry’s fundamentals of

nursing (5th ed.). Sydney, N.S.W.: Mosby/Elsevier Australia.

Forbes, H., & Watt, E. (2016). Jarvis’s physical examination and health assessment (2nd Australian and New Zealand ed.). Chatswood, N.S.W.: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.

Holland, K., Jenkins, J., Solomon, J. & Whittam, S. (2008). Applying the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model in Practice, London: Churchill Livingston.

Levett-Jones, T. (2013) Clinical reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson.

McCabe, C., & Timmons, F. (2013) Communication skills for nursing practice (2nd ed.). London: Palgrave McMillan.

Rebeiro, G., Jack, L., Scully, N., & Wilson, D. (2016). Fundamentals of Nursing Clinical Skills

workbook (3rd ed.). Sydney, N.S.W.: Mosby/Elsevier Australia.