Outline

Overview

This unit of study will examine the integration of theoretical and clinical aspects of nursing knowledge to enable the provision of comprehensive care to acutely ill patients. From a person and consumer care perspective, the responses of individuals and their families to an acute deterioration in health will be explored. The content of this unit relates to medical-surgical nursing and focuses on the themes of disruptions to health, the impact of illness and surgery, and the process of nursing care especially in the peri-operative phase for individuals and their families. Clinical governance relating to legal, ethical and professional responsibilities and nursing actions regarding treatment, surgery, medication administration and digital health technology, are also examined.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	NURS1008
Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	NURS1002
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jay Balante, jay.balante@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Kylie Lovato, kylie.lovato@sydney.edu.au
	Kazuma Honda, kazuma.honda@sydney.edu.au
	Ebon Smith, ebon.smith@sydney.edu.au
	Jill Cooper, jill.cooper@sydney.edu.au
	Su Aung, su.aung@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Assessment 5 - Final exam Short and medium length answers	45%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Assessment 1: Tutorial Quizzes Multiple-choice, matching type, multiple answers, and true/false.	15%	Multiple weeks	10 questions for 15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Placement	Assessment 6 - Off-campus clinical placement Clinical placement evaluation	0%	Multiple weeks	80 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Assessment 2 - Medication Calculation Medication calculation	0%	Week 07	45 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 3 - Evidence-based ePoster Submitted work - evidence-based ePoste	40%	Week 08 Due date: 20 Sep 2023 at 23:59	One-page ePoster AND 5-min voice-over
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Assessment 4 - Clinical performance appraisal Clinical skills assessment	0%	Week 10	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial Quizzes: The students will undertake a 15-minute quiz at the begining of the tutorials in Weeks 3 and 5.
Medication calculation assessment: The goal of this assessment is for the students to demonstrate the ability to calculate medication dosages correctly.
Evidence-based ePoster: In this assessment, students are required to utilise, analyse and synthesise evidence-based literature and develop an electronic poster (ePoster) to communicate information to registered nurses. You will need to seek evidence from sources such as research papers, systematic reviews, scholarly articles, textbooks, and reputable medical-health-related websites to ensure comprehensive, evidence-based support for your chosen topic. You will need to select one (1) topic from the list provided and develop your poster following your literature review. In this multimodal assessment, your submission will consist of the following: One-page ePoster and 5-minute audio-recorded presentation of a referenced script
Clinical performance appraisal (on-campus): Students will be required to respond appropriately to a patient scenario during the assessment by demonstrating the appropriate nursing practice developed and practised throughout the semester.
Final exam: The aim of this assessment is for the students to demonstrate, in writing, their understanding of the various aspects of care of the person with an acute disruption in health. This assessment is related to all areas of content covered in this unit of study. The exam structure will be in the format of case scenarios with associated short/long answer questions with content.
Clinical placement (off-campus): Students will undertake a clinical placement in a facility off-campus.

Please note: Each student is required to submit all assessment items in order to be eligible 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.

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
Multiple weeks	Clinical placement	Clinical practice (80 hr)
Week 01	1. Unit Intro 2. Introduction to medication management	Lecture (2 hr)
	1. Principles of medication administration; 2. Medication calculations	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Administration of oral medications	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Pre-operative care and consent to healthcare treatment; 2. Introduction to surgical interventions: peri-operative nursing roles	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Administration of scheduled medications and eye/ear/topical medications	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 03	1. Caring for different patient groups; 2. Intraoperative care and patient safety	Lecture (2 hr)
	Pre-operative care: assessment and preparation	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Intravenous fluid administration via gravity flow	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 04	Respiratory management of the surgical patient	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Preoperative care simulation	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 05	Nursing care of the cardiac surgical patient;	Lecture (2 hr)
	Postoperative care (Part 1): IVF, IDC, oxygen and breathing exercises	Tutorial (2 hr)
	1. Hand washing (surgical/non-surgical); 2. Gowning and gloving	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 06	Wound management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Aseptic technique	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 07	1. Acute pain management; 2. Postoperative care	Lecture (2 hr)
	1. Medication Calculation Test 2. Postoperative care (Part 2): pain management and managing complications	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Postoperative nursing care	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 08	1. Death and dying; 2. Transition of Care	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Removal of sutures and clips	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 09	Self-directed learning: Online Unit Revision	Independent study (2 hr)
	1. Developing nursing care plan for a surgical patient 2. Unit revision and evaluation	Tutorial (2 hr)
	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.

It is expected that all students participate and fully engage in the content of this unit of study by attending lectures, tutorials and laboratories, being prepared for tutorials and laboratories, contributing to discussions in class and online, and providing and receiving feedback in a respectful and dignified manner.

Students must also attend 100% of all clinical simulation laboratories (CSL) and off campus clinical, which are supplemented with online and group activities.

Please note: Clinical placement is required to be completed within 8 months of the theoretical component or you will receive an absent fail for the Unit of Study, see:

Clinical Placement Provisions

10(7) Students who do not satisfactorily complete a unit specific clinical placement within eight months of completion of the theoretical component of the associated unit of study will receive an absent fail grade for the unit of study.

This means your non-attendance for this allocated placement will result in an Absent Fail grade for the unit. The rules relating to your degree are externally accredited by ANMAC so there is little flexibility, and these are designed to support application of theory to practice and ultimately patient safety.

Referencing style: The Sydney Nursing School has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing style, 7th Edition, 2020 as its official referencing style. This is an author-date style of referencing.

Assignment formatting guidelines: Unless the unit coordinator has indicated otherwise, please make sure your submitted assessments are formatted as follows:

font: use Calibri or Times New Roman in 11 - 12 point
double line spacing
margins: 2.5cm each side
use page numbers
refer to assessment instructions for use of title and headings

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

See “Reading List” on NURS1008 Canvas site

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. demonstrate safe and efficient performance of nursing practice activities associated with recognising and responding to acute deterioration in simulated and clinical settings.
LO2. understand and appropriately utilise the professional language associated with a variety of common acute health conditions to communicate effectively with patients, families, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals.
LO3. demonstrate clinical reasoning skills required for the safe and comprehensive care of adults experiencing an acute disruption to health.
LO4. critically evaluate the importance of evidence-based practice in relation to clinical decision making for patient’s undergoing a perioperative experience.
LO5. demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance, legal and ethical responsibilities relevant to quality use of medicine, patient confidentiality, consent, documentation and use of digital health technology for patients experiencing an acute disruption in health.
LO6. demonstrate satisfactory achievement in the professional experience placement as outlined in the NURS1008 Clinical Record Logbook.

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 - 1.1. 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 1.5. Uses ethical frameworks when making decisions 3.7. Identifies and promotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people 6.1. Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 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
	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 1.3. 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 6.1. Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation 6.6. Uses the appropriate processes to identify and report potential and actual risk related system issues and where practice may be below the expected standards
	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 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.2. Uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice
	Registered Nurses Standards for 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 1.6. Maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision- making, actions and evaluations 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation 6.6. Uses the appropriate processes to identify and report potential and actual risk related system issues and where practice may be below the expected standards
	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 1.3. 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 2.1. Establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 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 3.3. Uses a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self and others 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 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.2. Uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice 5.1. Uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan 5.2. Collaboratively constructs nursing practice plans until contingencies, options priorities, goals, actions, outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the relevant persons 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 6.5. Practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

Changes to the assessment task and tutorial approaches have been made.

Additional information

This unit of study may require you to attend a teaching activity timetabled in teaching venues installed with the University’s Clinical Recording and Observation System (CROS) in the Susan Wakil Health Building. Students should be aware of the privacy and information management implications of this system. For more information, please refer to the University’s Privacy Statement.

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, discrimination, assault, suicide, illness, death and dying or culturally sensitive issues. These topics are relevant to your learning 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

NURS1008: Acute Care Nursing Practice

Semester 2, 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