Outline

Overview

This unit of study explores nursing from historical, theoretical, professional, ethical and legal perspectives. It aims to develop knowledge and mindful action in nursing practice by introducing students to the Framework for Practice Thinking, the Fundamentals of Care framework and the concept of partnering with patients in their own care. An understanding of the role of the nurse in the provision of comprehensive care across different contexts, the importance of interprofessional collaboration and the principles underpinning the safe practice of nursing, including evidence-based practice and infection control will be introduced. The unit will also address the role of digital health technology in the provision of safe, quality healthcare. Furthermore, students will be prepared with the communication skills required to enable effective partnerships with patients across the lifespan and in the context of cultural and social diversity.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	NURS1004
Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	NURS1002. Students unable to take NURS1002 and NURS1004 concurrently are advised to attempt NURS1004 before undertaking NURS1002
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Taneal Wiseman, taneal.wiseman@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Taneal Wiseman, taneal.wiseman@sydney.edu.au
	Cheryl Hyde, cheryl.hyde@sydney.edu.au
	Jennifer Hardy, jennifer.hardy@sydney.edu.au
	Su Aung, su.aung@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Assessment 4: Final exam Short answer questions	45%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Introductory professional workshop Assessment	0%	Multiple weeks	2 hour workshops
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 1: Online quiz Online quiz	5%	Week 05 Due date: 24 Mar 2023 at 23:59	10 questions (12 minutes duration)
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 2: Written essay Essay	30%	Week 07 Due date: 05 Apr 2023 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 3: Video and Written Critique on practical scenario Team of 3-4 to create one (1) clinical skills video followed by a critique	20%	Week 10 Due date: 07 May 2023 at 23:59	clinical skills video maximum 5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1: (Online Quiz) You will undertake a 12-minute quiz (comprising of 10 questions).

The online quiz will assess student’s knowledge of content covered in this unit of study up to (but not including) week 5 content. The online quiz contains 10 questions (e.g. multiple choice, true or false, etc.) addressing material that has been covered in lectures, tutorials and clinical laboratories to date. The online quiz is available on the NURS1004 canvas site for 24 hours only commencing Thursday 23th March at 2359 hours until Friday 24th March at 2359 hours. The quiz will NOT be accessible outside these times. You will have 15 minutes to complete the quiz once you have logged on. You are only permitted ONE attempt at this quiz so it is important that you are ready to spend the needed amount of time to complete it.

Assessment 2: (Written essay) 1000 word essay on the following topic: Nursing as a profession has evolved over time. Discuss the impacts of these changes on the legal and ethical aspects of the registered nurses role. Students may wish to cover the topic of telehealth, social media use, rights of the dying patient, or vaccination status and care delivery.

This essay is due week 7 on Wednesday 5th April @2359hours.

The idea is to develop the students writing skills. A portion of week 3 tutorial will be dedicated to the structure of this essay and will cover other academic writing topics such as academic integrity and database searching. Your discussion must be based on reputable sources, peer-reviewed journals and other relevant literature. Your essay should demonstrate your understanding of the topic as well as your ability to synthesis pertinent information on the topic.

Assessment 3: (Video and Critique). Video and written critique on a practical scenario (group work), for example personal hygiene, pressure area care and/or patient positioning and this will be based on a case scenario for example, the patient needs to be assisted/instructed how to safely get out of bed and the student need to assest them to mobilise and sit safely in a chair- they may use a walking aid.

Practice Development is a continuous process of improvement towards increased effectiveness in patient-centred care...’( Garbett & McCormack (2004). It is critical that nursing students develop competency in essential clinical skills to ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient centred care. To commence your journey in the development of critical thinking and excellence in nursing practice you are required to work in a team of 3-4 to create one (1) clinical skills video followed by a critique of your practice. The video will be produced in your independent practice sessions (see below for topics). Each video should be no more than 10 minutes in duration and must be uploaded into turnitin. Please note that this is a video of your practice session and does not have to be perfect. Following the completion of each video as a team you must complete the following critique:

Identify five (5) critical elements of this procedure that were performed well according to best practice recommendations.
Identify five (5) areas for improvement in technique or considerations for further practice in the clinical environment.
Provide evidence-based rationale for each of the identified critical elements from peer-reviewed journal articles and/or textbooks. Citations and references should be in accordance with the APA 7th Edition Guidelines.
Document the search terms used in your database search for evidence-based literature.

Assessment 4: (Final exam) The exam content will be taken from the lectures, tutorials, essential readings and clinical simulation laboratories in this subject. The examination content will relate to learning outcomes 1-9.

Introductory Interprofessional workshop: In March 2023, approximately 1900 health professional students will work in inter-professional teams to foster effective collaboration for the future improvement of health outcomes. This workshop will provide an opportunity to build and develop students' understanding of role identification, effective communication and teamwork. Students will be required to participate in teams to complete activities that have been developed to promote collaborative practice. Following the activities there will be a debriefing session where students can reflect on their team performance and relate this to health care. A satisfactory participation mark is a requirement for successful completion of this unit of study.

Please note: Each student is required to submit all assessment items in order to pass this unit. Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

*Where an assignment is submitted late without an approved extension, a late penalty will apply. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero marks will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Introduction to the unit of study; 2. What is nursing? Historical and contemporary perspectives	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	1. Intro activity- Where have you come from/ Values? 2. Infection control e.g. Hand Hygiene/ PPE/ Sharps Management / Waste Disposal [fundamentals]	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Nursing Theories and models of care 2. Comfort and safety	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Historical & Contemporary Perspective of Nursing 2. Preparation for learning in the hospital environment: Modules 1 & 2	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	1. Infection control; 2. Work, Health and Safety (WHS)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Manual handling, patient transfer in bed and bed to trolley and patient positioning	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 04	1. Framework for practice thinking 2. Person centred care- an introduction	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Quiz 1 1. Historical & Contemporary Perspective of Nursing (10mins) 2. Academic Writing / Searching databases / referencing/ Preparation for assignment 2.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Bed making, occupied, unoccupied & post operative beds. Disposing of linen - infection control review PPE	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 05	Communicating effectively 1 – Communication, definition, techniques language and terminology	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Introduction to the professional & legal practice of registered nurses in Australia	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Historical & Contemporary Perspective of Nursing 3 . Preparation for learning in the hospital environment Modules 3 & 4. Communication exercises	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	1. eMR – Electronic Medical Record 2. Evidence based practice	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Manual Handling: Assessing Patient mobility: transfer bed to chair, mobility aids	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 08	1. Leadership in nursing 2. Care of the dying - (End of life / palliative care)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Historical & Contemporary Perspective of Nursing 4 - 1. documentation / handover 2. Sexual Harassment activity / case study	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	NSQHS Standards - Patient safety and clinical reasoning; thinking like a nurse	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Attending to hygiene, bed bath, mouth, eye care and feeding. Urinary and faecal elimination care	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 10	Pressure Injuries	Lecture (2 hr)
	Pressure injury assessment and interventions. Review positioning using case study.	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
	1. Historical & Contemporary Perspective of Nursing 5 2. Developing care plans	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Review of UoS	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Clinical simulation exercise	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: The Sydney Nursing School Resolutions specifically outline attendance requirements. Resolution 7.2 states that if students are absent without leave for more than 10% of classes in a particular unit of study in any one semester, the Dean may call upon them to show cause why they should not be deemed to have failed that unit of study. Students undertaking this unit of study are required to attend at least 90% of on-campus activities which are supplemented with online and group activities.
Referencing style: The Sydney Nursing School has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing style, 7th Edition, 2019 as its official referencing style. This is an author-date style of referencing.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. introduce and discuss the history of nursing and influences that have shaped contemporary nursing and professional identity.
LO2. demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the Framework for Practice Thinking, the Fundamentals of Care framework and person-centred care.
LO3. demonstrate, at a beginning level, an understanding of evidence-based practice and its role in informing nursing practice.
LO4. apply foundational and factual knowledge to demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practice of work health and safety (WHS) with regards to preventing and controlling health care associated infection and manual handling.
LO5. develop communication and reflective skills, required as a nursing student in both on and off-campus clinical contexts to inform practice at novice level.
LO6. introduce and gain awareness of how digital health technology is used in the provision of contemporary healthcare.
LO7. demonstrate an introductory understanding of clinical governance and the fundamental professional, legal and ethical dimensions of nursing practice.
LO8. demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of effective interdisciplinary teamwork for patient safety.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 3.5. Seeks and responds to practice review and feedback 3.7. Identifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.3. Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 6.2. Practises within their scope of practice
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 1.4. Complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions 6.2. Practises within their scope of practice
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 3.3. Uses a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self and others 3.7. Identifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice 1.4. Complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 3.6. Actively engages with the profession 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice 2.8. Participates in and/or leads collaborative practice 5.2. Collaboratively constructs nursing practice plans until contingencies, options priorities, goals, actions, outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the relevant persons

Registered Nurses Standards for Practice -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.1		Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice
1.2		Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice
1.3		Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures
1.4		Complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
1.5		Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
1.6		Maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision- making, actions and evaluations
2.2		Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights
2.4		Provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health related decisions
2.5		Advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
2.7		Actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person- centered care
2.9		Reports notifiable conduct of health professionals, health workers and others
3.1		Considers and responds in a timely manner to the health and well being of self and others in relation to the capability for practice
3.4		Accepts accountability for decisions, actions, behaviours and responsibilities inherent in their role, and for the actions of others to whom they have delegated responsibilities
3.5		Seeks and responds to practice review and feedback
3.7		Identifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people
4.1		Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate
4.4		Assesses the resources available to inform planning.
5.1		Uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan
5.3		Documents, evaluates and modifies plans accordingly to facilitate the agreed outcomes
5.4		Plans and negotiates how practice will be evaluated and the time frame of engagement
6.1		Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people
6.2		Practises within their scope of practice
6.3		Appropriately delegates aspects of practice to enrolled nurses and others, according to enrolled nurse’s scope of practice or others’ clinical or nonclinical roles
6.5		Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation
7.2		Revises the plan based on the evaluation
7.3		Determines, documents and communicates further priorities, goals and outcomes with the relevant persons

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes to the assessment items have been undertaken and updating of subject content completed.

Additional information

Sensitive materials in teaching: Please note that in this Unit of Study sensitive and potentially distressing or disturbing content might be presented and/or discussed from time to time. This may include reference to for example, of people’s experiences of health and illness and/or culturally sensitive issues. These topics are relevant to your learning in this unit of study and your knowledge and skill development for nursing practice. You will be advised before the information/topic is presented. If you are participating in the teaching session/activity online, you are advised to use headphones and ensure that anyone not participating in the session cannot see images that you may be watching on your device. If the nature of the content makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the academic team to discuss this with them.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

NURS1004: Nursing Knowledge, Practice and Policy

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect