92663 Research for Nurse Practitioners
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 92612 Research in Health
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject offers students the opportunity to undertake a research activity to identify and evaluate a nurse practitioner's scope of practice, target patient group or service delivery model within their chosen specialty. It allows students to address relevant issues facing clinical nursing leaders in health care service design and delivery. This subject is designed to assist and guide students to develop skills of service analysis, clinical audits, behaviour change, communication, writing for publication and business proposals. Research skills are extended on those developed in 92790 Evidence for Informing Practice and 92612 Research in Health or equivalent practice. This subject supports the research skill capacity and capability building of students undertaking the Nurse Practitioner master's program.
Students are supported to translate research and evidence into work-integrated and practice-orientated learning by the engagement of stakeholders relevant to their clinical field/facility. On completion of this subject, students are enabled to explore and evaluate practice, monitor clinical performance, and plan for the translation of evidence into care practices as clinical leaders.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Design, formulate and conduct key components of a systematic gap analysis to identify/ validate a service need. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2) |
|---|---|
| B. | Examine the process of service/ practice analysis to identify areas requiring enquiry and interrogation. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1, 4.1, 4.2) |
| C. | Develop and articulate sustained arguments based on a critical appraisal of relevant literature and data sources. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2) |
| D. | Design, formulate and conduct key components of a clinical audit to evaluate and support change of scope of practice, target patient group or service model. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2) |
| E. | Construct and articulate analysis and audit findings inclusive of financial, ethical, cultural and resource requirements in the form of a draft publication. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1,2.2, 4.1, 4.2) |
| F. | Examine and predict the influence behaviour change frameworks will have on the proposal and skill development to allow for translation of evidence into care practices. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.1, 3.3 ) |
| G. | Exhibit professional leadership through the completion of an investigation designed to progress knowledge in the field. (NMBA Nurse Practitioner standard 2.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Are reflective critical thinkers who contribute to practice, policy, and research to enhance health care and health outcomes. (1.0)
- Appraise local, national and international evidence to enhance translation and contextualisation of the latest high-quality evidence into practice (1.2)
- Are effective, collaborative and responsive leaders. (2.0)
- Are socially, culturally and ethically accountable and consider health care in a global context. (3.0)
- Embody the professional qualities appropriate to the scope of their role. (5.0)
- Articulate and promote the role of the Nurse Practitioner in professional contexts to help develop the profession (5.2)
- Demonstrate professional cultural competency which contributes to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, inclusive of physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellness. (6.0)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILO's)
- Are reflective critical thinkers who contribute to practice, policy, and research to enhance health care and health outcomes (1.0)
- Are effective, collaborative and responsive leaders (2.0)
- Are socially, culturally and ethically accountable and consider health care in a global context (3.0)
- Embody the professional qualities appropriate to the scope of their role (5.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
Orientation activities
Preparation for the Session - students are expected to undertake activities prior to the first week. These activities include online readings, videos, interaction with peers, and are important in helping students prepare for the subject's Assessment Tasks. This also provides students with an opportunity to meet and interact with peers. Students will learn through independent learning activities, group work, peer review, and participation in workshops.
Independent learning activities
Students will participate in flexible, external learning in conjunction with workshops. This will include online readings, activities, self- directed tasks, interviews, and assessment preparation. This material and information will be further explored and examined in the workshops promoting a deeper approach to learning.
Workshops
There will be flexibility in face to face learning guided by student needs. Students will be engaged in interactive and collaborative learning opportunities to participate in discussions, debate, and in class presentations. Students will be encouraged and supported to articulate identified services, proposals, and consideration of financial, cultural, and ethical issues. Such opportunities will allow further development of high level communication skills and understanding of the behaviour change frameworks required to negotiate service change by clinical leaders.
Clinical leaders will be invited to attend face to face classes to present and discuss personal experience with service analysis, clinical audit, and evaluation and translating evidence into workplace change. The students will be provided an opportunity to discuss and interpret the relevancy of these experiences within their own domain of practice and assessment items.
Each workshop will provide an opportunity for material examined in independent learning activities to be critically evaluated to allow students to consolidate their learning. Each workshop will provide a structured opportunity for feedback and contemporaneous development on current assessment tasks. Students will be encouraged to collaborate with peers and staff to refine their assessment items in conjunction with this feedback.
Study trips will be considered where access to relevant learning needs are identified. This may include, but not limited to visiting and examining relevant services in and beyond the students’ facility and participation in external workshops.
Feedback
Feedback will be frequent and takes several forms including self-assessment, peer review, automatic feedback from interactive activities e.g. quizzes, and from the subject coordinator. Formative feedback throughout the subject aims to increase student performance at summative assessments.
Content (topics)
- Service gap and needs analysis
- Health service design and delivery
- Evaluating practice through clinical audit, data collection techniques
- Identification, appraisal and synthesis of evidence/ information/data to validate service change
- Understanding financial, cultural and ethical implications of service development
- Behaviour change interventions and policies
- Effective communication and writing for publication
- Building a case/proposal for service change
- Translating knowledge into practice
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Identification of service gaps and proposed method of evaluation
| Intent: | This assessment item focuses on the need for changing a Nurse Practitioner’s scope of practice, target patient group or service delivery model. The assessment item will assist the student in the identification of clinical practice service gaps and the opportunities for service delivery and patient outcome improvements. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of care practices and processes through audit methods. Students are exposed to the use of research to defend the need for evaluating, monitoring and improving clinical practice and service performance. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C, D, E, F and G This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 5.2 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Length: 1500 words +/- 10% (excluding references and appendices) |
Assessment task 2: Oral presentation of service gaps and proposed method of evaluation
| Intent: | Students will develop skills of interdisciplinary communication and articulating service provisions, needs and proposals for change. This development will highlight to students the importance of communication and leadership skills in influencing and guiding service providers. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C and G This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.2 and 2.0 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 10 minute oral presentation |
Assessment task 3: Initiation of clinical audit and presentation of results and recommendations
| Intent: | Students are exposed to the behaviour change frameworks that will assist in the design of a proposal and support implementation processes. This assessment item focuses on conducting an audit of relevant data sources to highlight service gaps. The student will undertake auditing practices within their chosen area to support the need for service change. Students will learn the importance of collecting data in defence of change, emphasis is placed on hospital audits. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C, D, E, F and G This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 6.0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Length: 2500 words +/- 10% (excluding references and appendices) |
Recommended texts
Readings
Saver, C. (2017). Anatomy of writing for publication for nurses. Sigma theta Tau International.
Students will be advised regarding preparatory readings prior to the study days, and these readings will be available via links from within UTSOnline. Please bring the readings to the study day in the week required.
Other resources
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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.
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