93230 Foundations of Nursing Practice 3B
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 93228 Foundations of Nursing Practice 3A
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This is the capstone foundations subject for the program and provides an overview of studies to date and serves to consolidate the knowledge students have gained across the three years of the program. Knowledge of patient safety is revised using the Patient Safety Competency Framework (PSCF). Students draw on knowledge gained in previous subjects and apply their knowledge to case studies involving patients across the lifespan with complex and challenging needs, involving health breakdowns identified as National Health Priorities. This includes the planning and coordination of care backed up by evidence based rationales, professional and appropriate communication and conduct and the ability to make decisions based on an understanding of the legal and ethical principles that underpin nursing.
Current innovative topics in nursing are considered including informatics, genomics, climate change and delivering nursing care in complex situations such as disasters and pandemics.
A nursing researcher in the school is showcased in the subject to demonstrate the relevance and currency of nursing research.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Demonstrate an understanding of cultural safety to inform culturally competent nursing practice. (RN Standards of Practice 1.2,1.3,1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.7, 3.7. 4.1, 6.1) |
|---|---|
| B. | Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of patient safety across all elements of the Patient Safety Competency Framework. (RN Standards of Practice 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) |
| C. | Demonstrate safe and quality use of medicines at a beginning practitioner level. (RN Standards of Practice 1, 3, 4, 5, 6) |
| D. | Apply clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills to complex clinical scenarios to coordinate and plan appropriate nursing care. (RN Standards of Practice 1.1, 1.2,1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 4, 5, 7) |
| E. | Develop an understanding of the need for continuing professional development and life-long learning in nursing. (RN Standards of Practice 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7) |
| F. | Identify the ways in which Registered Nurses disseminate their research findings to their peers. (RN Standards of Practice 1.7, 2.7, 2.8, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6) |
| G. | Prepare and present a research poster to their peers. (RN Standards of Practice 1.1, 1.7, 2.7, 2.8, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 7) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- The ability to plan and provide care that is respectful of each individuals’ needs, values and life experiences (1.0)
- The embodiment of a professional disposition committed to ethical, equitable and legal nursing practice (2.0)
- The ability to communicate and collaborate safely, compassionately and respectfully. (3.0)
- The ability to provide patient care premised on the best available evidence (4.0)
- The intellectual capacity to use theoretical knowledge to address complex and non-routine clinical issues (6.0)
- The knowledge and skills required for safe and effective patient care (7.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, you will participate in various teaching and learning strategies.
Online learning materials
This subject benefits from access to online resources, including podcasts, videos and learning modules. Students are provided with the resources to complete preparatory work to enable engagement during face-to-face tutorials.
Tutorials
Students will be supported and guided by a tutor and will work in groups to unpack the tutorial content using patient stories and clinical scenarios.
Students will be provided feedback from their tutor and peers with the opportunity to collaborate and develop interpersonal, communication and reflective skills.
Content (topics)
You will consolidate and extend your knowledge on the following topics:
- Patients with complex healthcare needs
- Clinical reasoning and clinical decision making
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Digital health
You will be introduced to the following topics in preparation for professional practice:
- Volunteer assisted dying
- Organ donation
- Climate change and planetary health
- Sustainability in practice
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Check your knowledge – Patient Safety Quiz
| Intent: | Adverse events in healthcare represent a major source of morbidity and mortality globally. The knowledge and skills nursing students develop during their undergraduate studies have a direct impact on patient safety. This assessment is designed to consolidate students learning and test their knowledge of patient safety to ensure that students graduate as safe and effective Registered Nurses. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B and C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Length: | 35 questions 40 minutes. |
Assessment task 2: Continuing professional development and lifelong learning – it’s not just about maintaining registration
| Intent: | Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the means by which members of the nursing profession maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop the personal and professional qualities needed throughout their professional lives. Due to the increasing complexity of the healthcare environment, nurses career development and level of patient care depends on their ability to further their education and skills. One way that this can be achieved is through attending and participating in nursing conferences. Presenting at a nursing conference encourages debate, insight, dissemination of findings, knowledge growth and development of professional practice. This assessment is designed to develop students understanding that CPD is an important element of nursing practice and nurses’ life-long learning through the preparation and presentation of an e-poster. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): E, F and G This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 3.0, 4.0 and 7.0 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1 x PowerPoint slide (A3 size) or PDF (A3 size) + 3-5 minute voice recording |
Assessment task 3: Caring for a patient with complex healthcare needs – making sense of the complexity – clinical reasoning, critical thinking and decision making
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment item is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their development of critical thinking, clinical judgment and clinical decision-making skills by using clinical reasoning to determine patient priorities and avoid cognitive errors. |
|---|---|
| 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, 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1500-2000 words |
Recommended texts
Lemone & Burke (Eds). (2020). Medical Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Person-Centred Care 4th ed. Melbourne, Victoria: Pearson
Levett-Jones, T. (Eds) (2023). Clinical Reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse 3rd ed. Melbourne, Victoria: Pearson.
Other resources
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