NUR3106

Nursing practice 6: Introduction to high dependency nursing

9 points · 5 hours a week (lectures, tutorials, labs) plus 150 hours clinical · First semester · Gippsland and Peninsula · Prerequisites: NUR2103, NUR2113, NUR2104, NUR2105, NUR2303, NUR2304, NUR2201

Objectives On completion of this subject students are expected to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a range of complex health problems experienced by patients throughout the lifespan; explore and evaluate the clinical application of nursing research and theoretical literature to acute and high dependency care; incorporate culturally relevant nursing therapeutics to address problems experienced by seriously ill clients; apply pathophysiological principals to the care of patients with serious and life threatening illness; apply clinical reasoning to selected pathophysiological and psycho-social nursing phenomena; demonstrate safe clinical practice based on current theoretical and pharmacological knowledge.

Synopsis In the health care environment where hospitalised patients have increasingly complex health breakdown problems, generalist nurses are often required to care for seriously ill clients inside and outside of specialised high dependency environments. This subject enables students to develop the skills required to care for serioulsly ill clients, with complex needs. The topics covered in this subject are intended to provide the necessary specific background to enable the student to practice with beginning competence and are growing independence in the care of patients experiencing serious life threatening illness. Concepts such as impaired immuno-competence, altered circulation, multi-systems disorders and trauma will be studied in this unit. Whilst the focus will be high dependency care, other specialist areas of nursing practice, such as perioperative, coronary care, acute medical surgical and emergency nursing will be introduced in relation to individuals throughout the lifespan. Students will be provided with learning opportunities in these clinical settings.

Assessment Written assignment: 25%· Examination: 75% · Clinical assessment: pass/fail · 100% attendance at clinical placement is compulsory · Students must pass both the theoretical and the clinical components in order to pass this subject.

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