MONASH UNIVERSITY FACULTY HANDBOOKS

Nursing Handbook 1996

Published by Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia

Caution Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1037-0919

Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996

SUBFACULTY INFORMATION

CONTENTS

  1. Introduction
  2. The undergraduate program
  3. Graduate courses
  4. Part-time studies and distance education
  5. General information
  6. Structure and organisation of the subfaculty
  7. School of Health Sciences, Gippsland
  8. Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing
  9. Further information

Introduction

Monash University is committed to the full integration, within each of its faculties, of tertiary level education, the advancement of knowledge through research and the provision of services to the community.

The Subfaculty of Nursing at Monash University provides national leadership in nursing education at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Cooperative interactions between the schools and centres of the Subfaculty of Nursing and centres and departments in the Faculty of Medicine have the potential for innovative developments in practice, education and research.

Robert Porter Dean, Faculty of Medicine

The Subfaculty of Nursing, in its third year of existence as part of the Faculty of Medicine, has been active and successful in consolidating its position in the university, through teaching, research and community involvement.

The subfaculty consists of two schools and a centre - the Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing, Peninsula campus, the School of Health Sciences, Gippsland campus and the Centre for Graduate Studies in Clinical Nursing at the Clayton campus of the Monash Medical Centre. The subfaculty office is situated at the university's Clayton campus. A twinning arrangement links the School of Health Sciences with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and in Singapore, with the Asia Pacific Management Centre to provide nurse education offshore. The Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing is affiliated with the Institute of Cultural Studies in Psychiatric Nursing at Royal Park Hospital, and the staff from the School of Health Sciences are actively involved with the Centre for Rural Health at Moe.

In accord with the university's goals, objectives and emphasis on quality, many courses have been reviewed, revised and rationalised, inter-campus liaison promulgated, off-shore initiatives expanded, policies developed and high teaching standards maintained. The subfaculty has maintained strong links with the Faculty of Medicine and has identified and developed policies, processes, procedures and regulations to compliment the faculty's approach. The subfaculty looks forward to further development in these areas during the coming year.

Anthony Barnett Acting head, Subfaculty of Nursing

The undergraduate program

The Subfaculty of Nursing offers a choice of undergraduate degrees conducted on the Peninsula and Gippsland campuses.

The Bachelor of Nursing degree is offered on a three-year full-time basis or on a part-time basis at the Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing, Peninsula campus and at the School of Health Sciences at the Gippsland campus. The Bachelor of Nursing (Post Registration) degree is a two-year, part-time course offered to registered nurses at the Peninsula campus and by distance education at the Gippsland campus.

The honours degree of Bachelor of Nursing provides a pathway for those students who demonstrate academic ability to pursue higher degree studies in the discipline of nursing. The course is offered on a two year, part-time, or one year full-time duration. It is be offered by internal mode at Peninsula campus and external mode at Gippsland campus.

Graduate courses

The Subfaculty of Nursing offers both distance education and on-campus courses.

At Peninsula the Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing offers the Graduate Diploma of Nursing with specialisations in palliative care, community health, and psychiatric nursing. An elective studies component is also available to provide flexibility in catering for individual learning needs.

At the Centre for Graduate Studies in Clinical Nursing, located at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton campus, graduate diplomas of nursing and of midwifery have been developed with a strong clinical focus. These courses are designed to enable students from the metropolitan and rural areas to access graduate nursing education in a number of clinical specialties. This is achieved through flexible scheduling of core subjects in collaboration with the other two schools in the subfaculty and through clinical practice with a number of collaborating hospitals.

At Gippsland the School of Health Sciences offers the Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Community Health), the Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Gerontics), and the Master of Nursing.

The graduate diplomas are designed to provide registered nurse graduates with advanced knowledge and specialised skills to promote effective functioning in the areas of community health and gerontics.

The Centre for Rural Health and the School of Health Sciences at Gippsland offer jointly a Graduate Diploma/Master of Rural Health course (with a multidisciplinary focus) by distance education for registered nurses and medical practitioners. The course design is based on the principles of primary health care and aims to develop and extend knowledge, attitudes and skill of rural health care professionals, in order to prepare them for positions of leadership in research, clinical practice, teaching and management.

The Master of Nursing is designed to provide nursing studies to prepare suitable candidates for positions of leadership and influence in the health care system. The course is offered at Gippsland and Peninsula, via distance education and on-campus part-time through coursework and minor thesis option, or by research on-campus, full-time or part-time.

Doctor of Philosophy: nurses with advanced qualifications wishing to undertake research and to investigate nursing and midwifery practice problems from within the health care delivery environment are encouraged to apply.

Part-time studies and distance education

Part-time studies

It is recommended that if you intend studying part-time, you should contact the relevant school or centre's administration office for times of lectures and library facilities.

Distance education

All Post Registration courses offered by the School of Health Sciences at Gippsland are conducted by distance education. This mode of study has been developed in recognition that most registered nurses have work and other important commitments which make it difficult to attend and participate in on-campus (classroom-based) courses. The Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Psychiatric Nursing) is also offered via the distance education mode from the Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing.

Distance education provides many people with the flexibility and control required to better manage their lifestyle whilst undertaking tertiary study. Distance education students are required to follow a comparable program of study, satisfy comparable requirements and sit for the same examinations as internal students.

However, the distance education studies program calls on a variety of instructional techniques to overcome the problems of a student who is `learning at a distance'. For independent study at home the student can expect to use, in addition to textbooks and the usual library materials, study guides, readings and additional material prepared by lecturers. Audio tapes, videotapes or computer software may also be used by some students.

In undertaking distance education study for the first time it is important not to be too ambitious in setting an initial study load as it takes some experience to be really effective in the use of time and study methods.

The success of past students demonstrates that a person in full-time employment can achieve high standards and satisfy the demanding requirements of many courses offered. However, distance education students will find that they must devote a considerable number of off-duty hours reading, researching and in the preparation of written assignments.

Most students will need to make sacrifices in order to fulfil their study program and should carefully consider at the outset what is involved in distance education study and weigh this against established priorities.

The recommended study load for distance education students with career and family commitments is the equivalent of two full subjects each semester (ie four full subjects per year), which is about half the normal study load of a full-time student. Most distance education students who work consistently can do good work at this rate. As a rough guide to the time required, expect to put in up to ten hours a week on each full subject.

The Gippsland campus library is primarily for the use of students and staff of the university. The library offers a comprehensive service to distance education students living beyond a 30-minute drive from the university. The off-campus service includes borrowing books by mail, a photocopying service, reference and research assistance and access to CD-ROM databases. The library hours are as follows:

+ Monday to Thursday 8.30 am - 9 pm;

+ Friday 8.30 am - 5 pm;

+ Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 5 pm;

+ Weekend schools: Friday 8.30 am 9 pm, Saturday 8.30 am 9 pm, Sunday 8.30 am - 6 pm.

General information

Using the handbook

Students selected for admission to the Subfaculty of Nursing should read this handbook carefully before enrolling. Re-enrolling students should purchase a handbook each year and be familiar with its contents, as changes may be made from year to year. Students should note that degree regulations are the formal prescription of the requirements to complete a degree and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the requirements are understood.

Responsibility for subject choice

Students are advised that, while the subfaculty will endeavour to give every possible assistance and advice concerning subject choice, the onus is on the student to ensure that the subjects selected meet the course regulations and requirements. The subfaculty does not take any responsibility for error in subject selection. The undergraduate courses which lead to registration as a registered nurse do not offer subject choice.

Enrolment and re-enrolment

In addition to the outline of subjects contained in the handbook, students should be familiar with the Student information handbook, which contains the details of selection, international student selection procedures, full-fee courses for international students, enrolments, pre-enrolment, re-enrolment, change of course, examination and other procedures.

Students are expected to read and understand the degree regulations and to ensure that the course they choose is in accordance with these regulations.

A major responsibility of all students is to ensure that all information held by student administration, especially names and addresses, is accurate. The university does not accept responsibility if official communications fail to reach a student who has not provided notification of a change of mailing address.

Assessment

Brief assessment information is available within the `subject details' chapter of this handbook.

At the Peninsula campus, detailed assessment procedure manuals are made available to students prior to the commencement of studies each year.

The following grades are used by the Subfaculty of Nursing:

+ HD - High distinction (85%+)

+ D - Distinction (75-84%)

+ C - Credit (65-74%)

+ P - Pass (50-64%)

+ SFR - Satisfied faculty requirements

+ DEF - Deferred assessment (temporary grade only)

+ NE - Not examinable in the current academic period

+ PGO - Pass grade only

+ NN - Fail (0-49%)

+ NS - Eligible for supplementary assessment

+ WH - Withheld

+ INC - Incomplete

+ NA - Not applicable

+ Final grades for honours project are HI, HIIA, HIIB, HIII, Fail

Board of examiners

The board of examiners meetings are held at the end of each semester and as required. Results are sent to students by mail after the board of examiners meeting and they are also posted on official notice boards. Supplementary examinations may only be granted in special circumstances. Special deferred examinations may be offered where a student is unable to attend examination due to illness and supplies a relevant medical certificate within forty-eight hours of the examination.

Prescribed texts

These books form the major part of the course and students are advised to purchase their own copy. Limited numbers will be available in the library.

Credits and exemptions

Students who wish to seek credits and exemptions from course requirements (because of relevant and equivalent studies in other courses or institutions) should apply through the school's and centre's student administration office at the relevant campus.

Cheating

Students should note that cheating at the university is regarded as a very serious offence which is likely to lead not only to failure in the subject concerned but also to additional penalties including exclusion. Students should carefully note that the taking of any unauthorised material into examinations such as notes or unauthorised dictionaries will be regarded as cheating. Students should also note that essays/assignments and other work are generally understood to be the student's own work and where any such work is identical with or similar to another student's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. Where students wish to undertake work in conjunction with other students, it is suggested that the matter be discussed with the lecturer concerned.

Unsatisfactory progress

According to university general procedures, students whose progress is considered unsatisfactory may be liable to exclusion from the subfaculty, but no decision will be taken to exclude a student until the student has been given an opportunity to present a case to the Unsatisfactory Progress Committee of the school being attended and the Subfaculty Exclusions Committee. Where the committee is of the opinion that the academic progress of any student enrolled in the subfaculty is unsatisfactory, having regard to the results in or failure to undertake any examination, test, assignment, essay or any other work required to be done by the student as part of the course, the committee may take steps as necessary, depending on the circumstances of the case.

For information on unsatisfactory progress and on appeal procedures, students are referred to the Monash University Calendar Statute 6.2 - Exclusions for Unsatisfactory Progress, and the regulations associated with this statute.

Campus structure

Requests for transfer of courses and inclusion of units from other campuses may be made at the campus at which you are enrolled.

Leave of absence

Applications for leave of absence should be forwarded, in writing, to the head of school or centre director at the appropriate campus.

Subfaculty grievance procedures

According to university procedure, student grievance procedures are available to facilitate confidential resolution of grievances for students who believe that they have a grievance against the subfaculty, where procedures for the resolution of that grievance are not provided for by other means.

Students should first discuss any concern with the staff member involved or the course coordinator, or, if this is not satisfactory, with the head of the school.

If a student is unable to resolve a grievance by other means, he or she should contact the head of the Subfaculty of Nursing and explain in writing the basis of the grievance.

The details of the formal procedures relating to grievances are available from the respective schools or from the subfaculty office.

Professional accreditation

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Nursing, graduates will be eligible for registration with the Nurses Board of Victoria.

Structure and organisation of the subfaculty

The School of Health Sciences, Gippsland campus, Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing, Peninsula campus, and the Centre for Graduate Studies in Clinical Nursing comprise the Subfaculty of Nursing within the Faculty of Medicine. The Subfaculty of Nursing office is located at 18 Beddoe Avenue, along the western border of the university's Clayton campus.

Subfaculty board

There is a subfaculty board which reports to the board of the Faculty of Medicine. The board membership includes student representation. School boards exist for the direction and facilitation of local administrative functions for each school, but are subject to policy and other decisions of the subfaculty board.

Standing committees

The Subfaculty of Nursing has established six standing committees which report to the subfaculty board: Research Promotion Committee; Quality Assurance Committee; Subfaculty Standing Committee on Ethics in Research on Humans; Undergraduate Matters Committee; Postgraduate Matters Committee and Promotions and Honorary Appointments Committee. The terms of reference for these committees are available from the Subfaculty of Nursing office on Clayton campus.

Computing facilities

Computer facilities are available at each school. These computer laboratories are available to internal students during the hours of 8.30 am and 5.30 pm (with some after hours access available), providing there is not a session in progress.

Timetables

At Peninsula campus and the Centre for Graduate Studies in Clinical Nursing, timetables may be obtained at the time of pre-enrolment or re-enrolment. At Gippsland campus timetables are available at the beginning of each semester.

Sources of advice

Throughout their university course, students have recourse to various sources of advice and help when they encounter difficulties. Their lecturers or course coordinators are available to consult about academic problems in courses in which they are studying. In addition, the school administrative officers may be consulted on changes of course, or any matters relevant to the student's progress during the course. Students may be referred to one or other of the student services such as counselling, health or housing at the relevant campus or the Course and Careers Centre at Clayton and Peninsula campuses.

School of Health Sciences, Gippsland

Laboratory access, safety precautions, safety clothing and clinical practice

At the School of Health Sciences on the Gippsland campus, the following general instructions apply.

+ Internal students will be required to attend laboratory sessions for both science and nursing components. At the commencement of semester students will be given a laboratory safety handbook; it is essential that all safety regulations be adhered to.

+ Non-attendance at nursing laboratory sessions without a medical certificate may mean exclusion from clinical placement. A medical certificate should be forwarded to the subject adviser.

Clinical practice

In the clinical setting the student will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Reflective participation in practice is encouraged through a professional journal and group debriefing in the clinical setting.

Attendance

For students of the Gippsland campus, clinical experience is obtained in a wide variety of health agencies throughout the Gippsland and Melbourne metropolitan regions.

The duration of clinical experience is two days a week for first-year students in first semester, to blocks of weeks thereafter.

Generally speaking the student's day on clinical experience commences with a 7 am start at the venue. Any variation in times for attendance at clinical or field experience will be notified in advance. Students work a seven-hour day excluding lunch.

Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each subject. Make-up for time missed will be arranged in consultation with the clinical coordinator.

Students on clinical placement

During clinical placement students are expected to discuss their clinical learning needs and clarify what is required of them by the teacher and nursing staff. Students are accountable for providing safe nursing care. Students must ensure they are supervised by the clinical teacher/registered nurse for the initial performance of all new learning experiences. Consultation must take place with the clinical teacher before students undertake any care or procedure for which they are not yet theoretically prepared.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure supervision of practice. Students are supernumerary to health workers in clinical centres and on field experience. They are learners primarily in all settings. The attending students are reminded that they bear a responsibility to the people entrusted to their care. It is vital that any information the student has access to remains confidential. At all times students are responsible and accountable for their own actions.

Whilst in the clinical area students are reminded that they are guests of the agency and are expected to behave and dress in a professional manner.

Drugs

Students should be aware of their legal position regarding the administration and storage of drugs. In addition, it is the policy of the campus that where drugs are required to be checked by two people prior to administration under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Victoria), the student and supervisor (clinical teacher or registered nurse) are considered as one person.

Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the subject will be denied.

Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing

Clinical practice

Clinical learning activities are organised to provide experimental learning for the major concepts studied. The objectives for each clinical practicum reflect those of the corresponding theoretical subjects. Clinical opportunities in a broad range of hospital and community settings will enable students to attain the objectives. The major concepts studied and skills developed in the first year of the course are expanded and extended in the second and third years to produce a competent generalist first-level practitioner.

Clinical practicum is offered to students in a combination of single day and block placements in each semester. It is undertaken in a variety of health care agencies throughout the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne. Students are responsible for all arrangements and expenses related to travel and accommodation for this clinical experience.

Uniforms and accessories are required for clinical placements and students will be notified regarding purchase arrangements upon commencement.

It is required that students obtain relevant vaccinations prior to clinical placement. Arrangements regarding serological screening and vaccination will be organised on commencement.

Further information

Further information may be sought from:

Subfaculty of Nursing

18 Beddoe Avenue Clayton Victoria 3168

Telephone (03) 9905 4029 Facsimile (03) 9905 3801

Administration Office

Caroline Chisholm School of Nursing Monash University Peninsula campus McMahons Road Frankston Victoria 3199

Telephone (03) 9904 4260 Facsimile (03) 9904 4130

Centre for Graduate Studies in Clinical Nursing

Monash Medical Centre 246 Clayton Road Clayton Victoria 3168

Telephone (03) 9550 2339 Facsimile (03) 9550 2338

The School of Health Sciences

Monash University Gippsland campus Switchback Road Churchill Victoria 3842

Telephone (03) 9902 6454 or (051) 226454 Facsimile (03) 9902 6527

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