NUR4010 - Rural health emergencies

Leader(s): Ms Lorraine Walker

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit addresses the need for rural nurses to be formally prepared for an expanded practice role. Unit content has been selected on the basis of health situations commonly encountered in rural nursing practice and identified in the literature by Australian rural nurses as learning priorities. This unit will develop the students' ability to respond appropriately to medical, obstetric, traumatic, farming and industrial, environmental or psychosocial health crises in the context of rural and remote practice. Students will refine knowledge and skills pertinent to effectively triage, manage, refer, transfer, and where appropriate, resuscitate and stabilise clients.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students are expected to be able to:

Educational Objectives

1. discuss the implications of rural practice, law and ethics as it relates to nurses' initiation of emergency care in rural health crises; 2. solve problems pertinent to rural medical, traumatic, obstetric, environmental and psycho-social emergencies; 3. apply sound clinical reasoning to managing clients in emergency situations; 4. identify the pharmacological interventions, reactions and interactions a rural nurse may be required to address in rural practice.

Clinical Objectives

5. undertake advanced clinical assessment and first-line treatment of clients of all ages who experience health crises in a rural setting; 6. demonstrate competent resuscitative skills across the lifespan; 7. appropriately triage, manage, refer and transfer clients experiencing a health crisis; and 8. practice safely with increasing independence.

Assessment

Assignment: 30%
Case study: 30%
Examination: 40%
Clinical OSCA's: 20%
Clinical evaluation: Pass/Fail

Prerequisites

NUR3009, NUR3106

Co-requisites

Available only to students undertaking Bachelor of Nursing and Rural Health Practice