M2006 - Bachelor of Nursing - 2017

NOTE: This course has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2016. For details of changes, please consult the Handbook change registerHandbook change register (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2017handbooks/2017-change-register.html).

The Bachelor of Nursing aims to produce dynamic graduate nurses who will be leaders in healthcare in the 21st century. The course prepares nurses with the requisite knowledge and skills to be effective and perceptive communicators, graduating from the course with the capabilities and attributes to have a positive impact on the future of the nursing profession and the quality of peoples' lives. As a Bachelor of Nursing graduate, you will be recognised for your excellent and innovative practice as you identify and effect change in health care. This care will reflect contemporary knowledge, practice, research and technology.

Very high achieving students can apply to be admitted to the Bachelor of Nursing scholars program. Nursing scholars complete the same academic program as other students but also have access to a range of development opportunities including expert mentoring, special activities and seminars. These benefits are your reward for your effort and academic performance - and they are sure to support and enhance your experience in this degree.

The Bachelor of Nursing course will prepare you for increasingly complex health care situations in Australia and internationally. As a graduate you will have acquired the knowledge and skills to be a competent beginning-level professional registered nurse with leadership capability in a range of health care contexts including acute care, primary health care and health promotion.

You will develop knowledge for the safe practice of clinical skills in a variety of health care facilities and services over the course of your studies, and develop a broad range of knowledge in relevant disciplines, enabling you to critically analyse health care situations, concepts and perspectives. You will have plenty of opportunity for clinical experience in diverse settings throughout Victoria and you may also get the opportunity to study and undertake clinical placements in Sweden or the UK under our successful student exchange programs.

Your clinical and professional skills will be further developed through time spent working with students enrolled in other health science disciplines (i.e. occupational therapy, physiotherapy, emergency health, medical imaging, nutrition science, social work) enabling you to experience interdisciplinary service delivery and inter-professional education.

Successful completion of the course will lead to eligibility for registration as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The nursing degree creates local, national and international opportunities in a range of health service areas, such as acute hospital care, mental health, rehabilitation, aged care, community-based care and rural and remote services.

It also provides an excellent foundation for further education and practice in specialist areas of acute medical/surgical nursing, emergency nursing, intensive care, midwifery, paediatrics, peri-operative, mental health, palliative care, oncology, wound care and other areas.

Double degrees

The Bachelor of Nursing can be taken in combination with the Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours). This will lead to the award of two degrees, the Bachelor of Nursing, and the Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours). The requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Nursing degree are the same whether the award is earned through the single or the double degree course. Students should refer to the course entry for the double degree M3007 Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours).

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 7 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 7 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that students will be able to:

1. demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attributes appropriate for a competent entry level professional registered nurse
2. apply critical reasoning skills to explain biomedical and social sciences concepts underpinning nursing practice
3. recognise the intrinsic value of people irrespective of culture, values, beliefs and socio-economic status
4. demonstrate nursing practice that is ethical, respectful and collaborative, and assume leadership, supervisory and management roles as appropriate
5. plan, implement and critically evaluate nursing care activities which encourage individuals and groups to achieve independence or self-manage in achieving and maintaining optimal levels of health
6. create personal strategies to maintain high standards in professional life and contribute to the professional nursing community and the multidisciplinary health care team and engage in lifelong learning
7. demonstrate safe nursing practice as described in the ANMC National Registered Nurse Standards for Practice for the registered nurse.

This course requires students to undertake off-campus rural and metropolitan clinical placements. In the clinical setting you will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each unit. Where your skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the unit will be denied. You may be withdrawn from a clinical practicum if required skills and knowledge are deemed inadequate, or on other grounds deemed appropriate by the head of school.

Clinical expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during clinical placement. Uniforms and accessories are required for clinical placements and you will be notified regarding purchase arrangements upon commencement.

Successful completion of the course will lead to eligibility for registration as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

The course develops through themes addressing your personal and professional development; understanding of society, population, health and illness; translation of knowledge for clinical practice; and clinical nursing skills. These come together in nursing practice as demonstrated in the final year clinical placement units and in a final substantial professional project.

A. Personal and professional development

These studies focus on your development as a professional who is able to function and communicate both as a member of a health care team and autonomously as required. You will learn to become resilient, identify professionally with nursing culture, and develop skill in client interactions and reflective practice. You will also develop your capacity to work within the healthcare environment, understand relevant issues of law and ethics, professional standards and accountability, inter-professional education and teamwork, leadership skills and autonomous practice, effective and perceptive communication, including therapeutic communication, and advocacy for the clients and carers.

B. Society, population, health and illness

These studies focus on the social, environmental and behavioural contexts and determinants of health and illness and the significance of these contexts on the practice of nursing. You will consider public, population and global health, health promotion and applied community health education, learn about community diversity and vulnerable populations and develop the essential cultural competence for nursing. You will also develop the approaches to knowledge and information management needed for evidence-based practice.

C. Translation of knowledge for clinical practice

These studies provide the foundations of evidence-based healthcare as a highly skilled nurse. You will learn about the biological basis of human health through study of the biosciences (anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology of disease and microbiology) and pharmacology (including psychotropic medications). You will develop the capacity to apply this and other knowledge in healthcare interventions, including mental health, to critically evaluate evidence in relation to health and healthcare management and to make informed clinical decisions.

D. Clinical nursing skills

Through these studies you will acquire the clinical skills needed for the care of individuals including the assessment of clients' health status in order to determine and deliver competent nursing care. This will involve the integration of knowledge, patient assessment, practical procedures, patient handling, communication, clinical reasoning, interpersonal skills and management skills. Your nursing skills will be developed in a range of contexts including health care facilities, community environments and simulated laboratory settings.

The course comprises 144 points of nursing study. It develops through theme studies in Part A. Personal and professional development, Part B. Society, population, health and illness, Part C. Translation of knowledge for clinical nursing practice and Part D. Clinical nursing practice. While units are clustered below under themes that show the main emphasis of the unit, the course develops the themes in an integrated way so that most units address more than one theme and almost all address theme Part A.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2017handbooks/maps/map-m2006.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Units are 12 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Personal and professional development and Part B. Society, population, health and illness (60 points)

Students complete:

• NUR1013 Indigenous health for nursing and midwifery practice (0 points)
• NUR1110 Communication and scholarship in nursing and midwifery (6 points)
• NUR1111 Global health and cultural competence in nursing and midwifery practice (6 points)
• NUR1113 Law, ethics and leadership in nursing and midwifery (6 points)
• NUR2223 Safety in healthcare contexts (6 points)*
• NUR2227 Primary health care nursing and midwifery contexts (6 points)
• NUR4111 Translation of nursing knowledge for primary healthcare practice
• NUR4113 Translation of nursing knowledge for leadership in practice 1*

and one of the following elective units (6 points):

• NUR2007 Introduction to palliative care (6 points)
• NUR2203 Health Promotion (6 points)
• NUR2005 Introduction to maternity and paediatric nursing
• NUR2447 Clinical concepts

* This unit is only for students enrolled in the single degree M2006 Bachelor of Nursing.

Part C. Translation of knowledge for clinical practice and Part D. Clinical nursing skills (84 points)

Students complete:

• NUR1112 Fundamental skills and knowledge for nursing and midwifery practice 1
• NUR1114 Fundamental skills and knowledge for nursing and midwifery practice 2
• NUR2225 Mental health in nursing and midwifery practice contexts (6 points)
• NUR2226 Nursing practice contexts 1
• NUR2228 Nursing practice contexts 2
• NUR2229 Nursing practice contexts 3 (6 points)
• NUR3310 Translation of nursing knowledge to complex acute care practice
• NUR3312 Translation of nursing knowledge in preparation for professional nursing practice

Graduates of the Bachelor of Nursing who achieve a 70 per cent average or higher across units at level 3 are eligible to apply to enrol in the one year honours course M3704 Bachelor of Nursing (Honours).

Graduates of the Bachelor of Nursing are eligible to apply to enrol in M6006 Master of Nursing Practice.