92439 Family and Children's Nursing
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): (((48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): STM90330 Standard entry (BN) OR 48 credit points of completed study in spk(s): STM91040 Standard Program)) OR 92449 Health Assessment and Nursing Therapeutics )
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
This subject contributes to students' understanding of families in contemporary Australian society. Health promotion and primary health care in a family context, and family formation and structure are highlighted. The subject explores nursing issues related to the child-bearing family including parenting, maintaining health and wellbeing in children, families in crisis and the impact of disability on families. Key acute and chronic health issues in children and adolescents together with recognition of the sick child are a major focus of this subject. Legal and ethical issues related to families such as child protection and guardianship are addressed in the context of children at risk. The subject enables students to develop the personal, professional and intellectual attributes, along with the technical knowledge, required to work with children and families in a broad range of settings.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Examine the concept of family in contemporary Australian and international society (RN Standards for Practice 1, 3 & 4). |
|---|---|
| B. | Appraise the experiences of families and children in relation to pregnancy, health and illness (RN Standards for Practice 1, 2, 4 & 6). |
| C. | Demonstrate the capacity to assess, judge and respond to the health status of infants and children in simulation, including recognition of the sick child (RN Standards for Practice 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7). |
| D. | Appraise relevant legal, ethical, social and cultural issues that arise in the care of children and their families (RN Standards for Practice 1 & 2). |
| E. | Demonstrate the ability to communicate appropriately with members of the health care team and with children and their families in simulated activities (RN Standards for Practice 2 & 6). |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Embody a professional disposition committed to excellence, equity and sustainability (1.0)
- Engage in person-centred care that is appropriately sensitive to the needs of individuals, families and communities (2.0)
- Communicate and collaborate effectively and respectfully with diverse groups (3.0)
- Inquire critically to assess a body of evidence to inform practice (4.0)
- Competently apply knowledge and skills to ensure safe and effective nursing practice (5.0)
- Demonstrate professional cultural competency which contributes to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, inclusive of physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellness (6.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, students participate in a range of teaching and learning strategies that are designed to encourage engagement with the nursing care of children and families.
Preparation Activities
To get the most out of the on-campus sessions, students are expected to complete the programmed pre-learning activities prior to attending class as these activities will form the basis of group discussion/ practical activity that students will engage in during class.
Case Studies
In laboratories, students are introduced to a range of case scenarios based on infants, children and young people with different health conditions. Cases are used to help students explore family and children's nursing scenarios in clinical or community situations. Students use these scenarios to learn concepts, interpret information, form clinical judgements and develop solutions for providing evidenced based care. Critical thinking is developed through analysis, interpretation of and reflection of the clinical application of the case studies with feedback provided through class discussion.
Clinical Skills, Communication and Clinical Judgement
Students participate in clinical laboratory sessions that focus on the integration of key concepts and skills in caring for children and families. In these sessions, students are introduced to a range of skills including child health and physical assessment and interventions for nursing care. These skills are scaffolded each week and increasingly integrated into simulation based activities where students will make clinical judgement decisions based on information provided and implement nursing care skills. Communication with children and families forms an essential part of this subject where students will have to interact appropriately with the case scenario and other students as part of the health care team.
Simulation and Debrief
The use of low and high fidelity simulation will engage students into several common paediatric nursing scenarios. This format supports and encourages collaborative learning, critical analysis of case scenarios and the formulation, implementation and evaluation of nursing interventions. Debriefing will be carried out as part of the simulation process to enable reflective learning and provides an opportunity for regular and timely feedback.
Regular Feedback
Facilitated in-class quizzes and interactive critical-thinking based case studies provide opportunities for students to practice their existing and newly acquired skills which is accompanied by direct feedback and discussion. Facilitated debrief and feedback of these activities each week aim to reinforce applied competence and facilitate an understanding of knowledge and skill gaps that enable students to self-identify areas for development.
Lecture and Online Learning Material
Both real-time delivery of content and access to online resources including podcasts, videos and learning modules is provided. In live online lectures students are able to quickly clarify complex descriptions and terminology, and engage with sensitive and confronting topics such as child protection and wellbeing.
Clinical Placement
In this subject, students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing prior to 2018 will complete a clinical placement which may occur in a range of contexts including, acute care settings, community based child care and child focused developmental disability settings. Students explore infant, child and/or adolescent growth and development and are required to consider approaches to nursing care. This requires students to recognise the differences in infants and children and work with teams to develop and consolidate their knowledge, skills and attributes relevant to family and children's nursing.
Content (topics)
Families and family life in Australia, including family formation, structure and development, and family assessment techniques.
Nursing care of the childbearing and child rearing families including parenting, promoting and maintaining health and wellbeing in children and families, the impact of chronic illness and disability for families with children.
Recognition of the sick child: key acute and chronic health issues for children, adolescents and families, (preventable illness/injury and chronic illness), planning care, communicating with health care professionals, children and families.
Children at risk and vulnerable families: child protection; child abuse and neglect, consent and assent to treatment, guardianship; mental health issues.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Child Protection Certification
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is for students to demonstrate their understanding of a nurse's responsibility in protecting the health, safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people in their care, including when providing care to parents, carers or pregnant women. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | Part A- Self paced completion of 9 modules online. Part B- During scheduled laboratory time on Wednesday 3 January 2024 |
Assessment task 2: Practical Case Scenario
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate appropriate nursing care of sick children; recognise and respond to the deteriorating child and organise care in partnership with children and families. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1 hour and 15 minutes. |
Assessment task 3: Case-Based exam
| Intent: | Students will complete an examination that assesses understanding of families in contemporary Australia; nursing care of childbearing families and childrearing families including health promotion and education; nursing care of children with common acute illnesses; care of vulnerable families; ethical and legal issues relating to families, including; guardianship; mandatory reporting; consent; and, medication and intravenous fluid calculations in the paediatric context. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: |
Students are permitted to use a simple non-programmable calculator in this exam. |
Assessment task 4: Clinical Placement
| Intent: | Clinical placement provides students with the opportunity to consolidate, develop and apply knowledge and skills learned in the subject, and practice them in line with the Nursing Midwifery Board of Australia Competencies and Standards. Please note, students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing from Autumn 2018 are not required to complete a clinical placement for Family and Children's Nursing. All students were enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing prior to Autumn 2018 are required to complete a clinical placement. |
|---|---|
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Length: | IMPORTANT The required hours for completion are dependant on the year of enrollment. Students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing program prior to 2018 will complete between 40 - 80 hrs of clinical practice. These students should refer to the Clinical Practice Unit for their individulised clinical hour requirements.
|
Required texts
All reading material will be provided through Canvas; however, please consider the information regarding recommended texts.
Provided material includes excerpts from the recommended textbook; NSW Health clinical practice guidelines on the management of children with acute illness; extracts from relevant nursing and related texts; government and hospital policy documents and discussion papers; and peer reviewed journal articles that address the major content areas. Students will be able to access these documents online via UTS Library and Canvas.
Recommended texts
The following Textbook is used throughout this unit and is recommended as a life-long reference for those students considering paediatric and/or family nursing and/or midwifery. (NB: It is not otherwise necessary to purchase this textbook as all reading material is provided on Canvas).
Hockenberry, M. J., & Wilson, D. (eds) (2018). Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children, 11th edn, Elsevier Mosby.
References
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) (2017). National safety and quality health service standards, (2nd edn). ACSQHC. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/ wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ National-Safety-and-Quality-Health-Service-Standards-second-edition.pdf
Department of Health (2019). National Action Plan for the Health of Children and Young People 2020 – 2030, Department of Health, Canberra. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/child-and-youth-action-plan
Forster, E. & Fraser, J. (eds) (2018). Paediatric Nursing Skills for Australian Nurses, Cambridge University Press.
Fraser, J., Waters, D., Forster, E. & Brown, N. (eds) (2017). Paediatric Nursing in Australia: Principles for Practice, Cambridge University Press
New South Wales (NSW) Health, Kids and Families (2014). Healthy, Safe and Well: A Strategic Health Plan for Children, Young People and Families 2014–24. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/ kidsfamilies/Publications/healthy-safe-well.pdf
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) (2016). Registered Nurse Standards for Practice. NMBA. http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/ Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards.aspx
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
Details for student centres: www.uts.edu.au/current-students/contacts/general-contacts
For other resources/ information refer to the Faculty of Health website (www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-health) and Canvas at: https://canvas.uts.edu.au/.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: lib.uts.edu.au, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: (02) 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.
HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733.
Please see www.uts.edu.au for additional information on other resources provided to students by UTS.
The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service
The Accessibility Service can support students with disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If you’re unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or Accessibility@uts.edu.au.
The Financial Assistance Service can assist you with financial aspects of life at university, including Centrelink information, tax returns and budgeting, interest-free student loans and grants to assist with course-related costs. Check eligibility and apply online and make an appointment on +61 2 9514 1177 or Financial.assistance@uts.edu.au.