Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives On successful completion of this subject it is expected that students will be able to identify those areas of function in which nurses have a primary responsibility for the provision of care to individuals and families; develop the ability to choose and implement appropriate nursing interventions within a collaborative model which focuses on the person and is based on scientific principles; appraise critically nursing actions and outcomes; apply knowledge from related disciplines such as the applied sciences, psychology and philosophy to nursing practice.
Synopsis Professional nursing care in circumstances of acute health impairment. Understanding the pathophysiological basis for health break-down while exploring the impact of illness on the person as a whole, on the family and significant others. The community aspect of acute illness. The subject is taught by lectures, lecture/demonstration, tutorials and nursing skills laboratory, using the exploration of concepts central to nursing as the organising principle. Application of theory and skills will be facilitated by the use of scenarios and learning packages. Attendance at nursing skill laboratories is mandatory. Clinical practice as a teaching and learning method will be arranged at intervals throughout the subject. Supervised clinical placements will be in acute health care settings. Reflective participation in practice is encouraged through group debriefing in the clinical setting. Attendance at clinical sessions is mandatory. The student is expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge and skills, including proficiency in calculation of drug dosages and intravenous therapy, in order to deliver care safely in the clinical setting. Where a student's skills and knowledge are found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the subject will be denied.
Assessment Written subject test prior to clinical placement: 15% + Essay (2500 words): 25% + Examination: 50% + Clinical documentation 10% + Clinical assessment: pass/fail + Successful completion of the subject requires a pass in the theoretical examination + Students must demonstrate proficiency in nursing practice in order to complete the subject successfully + Students who do not pass the clinical component are deemed to have failed the whole subject + Participation in debriefing and documentation of care in the clinical setting form part of the assessment in clinical