Outline

Overview

This unit of study focuses on the ways in which individuals subjectively experience illness and care. The unit also introduces students to the qualitative research methodologies used to explore illness experience; a range of illness experiences are then examined. Attention is drawn to such factors as illness and the body, emotions arising in illness, issues of self-identity and social attitudes to illness and disability. With this knowledge about illness experience in mind, the nurse-patient relationship underpinned by the concept of patients as partners is then critically examined. Within a communication-based framework, students focus on ideas about therapeutic listening and use of self, as well as the concept of knowledge transfer as it is relevant to nurse-patient interactions. Students also engage with contemporary debates about the nature of nurse-patient interactions and relationships and explore the way these might vary in different health care settings, and with people from different social and cultural backgrounds, including indigenous people. These new skills are then applied during a professional experience placement with an emphasis on therapeutic and interprofessional communication.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	NURS5006
Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	NURS5081
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Janice Gullick, janice.gullick@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Placement	Assessment 5: Off-campus clinical placement Clinical placement	0%	Multiple weeks	80 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 1a: Interprofessional communication Quiz Online Quizz	5%	Week 02	8 multiple choice questions on readings
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 1b: Interprofessional transition to care plans IPL Groupwork	0%	Week 04	During lab time
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 2: Essay Illness Experience Essay	40%	Week 06 Due date: 19 Sep 2021 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Assessment 3: Communication Micro-skills Exam Communication skills assessment, written response to communication video	10%	Week 08	1-hour
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 4: Annotated Bibliography Annotated bibliography	45%	Week 11 Due date: 31 Oct 2020 at 23:59	2500 words excl. bibliographic citations
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1a – This is an Inter-Professional Learnimg (IPL) activity. All resources for the interprofessional learning activities are on a separate Canvas site. Prior to your first IPL workshop day in Week 3 you will: Listen to TWO introductory podcasts – 1) Safety Culture, and 2) When teams work well. Then complete the podcast revision quiz (worth 5% of your NURS5006 mark).
Assessment 1b – Interprofessional Learning Activity – Based on your discipline specific transition to care plan that you developed prior to the week 3 workshop, you will collaboratively develop an interdisciplinary transition to care plan within your IPL team during the Week 3 workshop. This will be peer marked in the Week 4 workshop
Assessment 2 - Essay: you will choose a creative work – a novel, a movie, podcast or artwork that has an illness experience as a central theme. You will then consider how this creative work explains 1 or two of the theories learned in class about the body / illness
Assessment 3 – Nurse-patient interaction/relationship skills: You must first engage in the two on-campus clinical labs where you will practice safe, efficient, and effective nurse-patient communication micro-skills. You will then participate in an online written assessment during lecture time that examines your understanding of these skills.
Assessment 4 – Annotated Bibliography: You will choose one of 4 clinical/social patient scenaros provided. Drawing on published qualitative reserach studies you will A) provide an annotation for each article with each entry less than or equal to 250 words. B) In 500 words, summarise some common issues and experiences from the literature for patients and families with your chosen condition. C) Given your patient’s age, condition and what you know of their social situation, thoughtfully craft five questions that a nurse might ask that are specifically aimed to help assess their situation; better understand the experience of the illness in the context of their lives, relationships and responsibilities; and plan for inpatient nursing care and discharge.
Assessment 5 – Off-campus clinical assessment: Students who complete this assessment successfully will demonstrate safe, efficient, and effective performance of nursing practice and communication activities associated with patients who present at a primary health care setting. The off-campus clinical experience also forms part of the clinical component in the curriculum as approved by the Nurses’ Registration Board of NSW. Students are therefore required to attend and participate in all (100%) of the 80 hours in the clinical weeks.

Please note: Each student is required to submit all assessments and achieve a cumulative minimum mark of 50% in theoretical and clinical assessments 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.

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. Bodies and boundaries; 2. Illness and the body	Lecture (2 hr)
Week -02	1. Introduction and unit overview; 2. Information on clinical placements	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	Health, illness and surveillance	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Researching illness experiences: qualitative methodologies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Reading forum 1	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Guest speakers: illness stories Multiple Sclerosis / Breast cancer	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Interdisciplinary communication skills (interprofessional activity)	Science laboratory (1.5 hr)
Week 04	Guest speakers: illness stories - Type 1 Diabetes / Prostate cancer	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Interdisciplinary communication skills (interprofessional activity)	Science laboratory (1.5 hr)
Week 05	1. Emotional labour; 2. Therapeutic communications	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Reading forum 2	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	The nurse-patient/family relationship with older persons in acute hospital settings	Lecture (2 hr)
	Hospitalisation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people	Online class (1 hr)
	Communication micro skills	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 07	1. Nurse-patient communication on sensitive and difficult topics; 2. Managing stress and distress in nursing practice	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Communication microskills with actor	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 09	Reading Forum 3	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	1. The nurse-patient relationship in adolescent nursing; 2. Revision and discussion about Assessment 4	Lecture (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.

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

Reading forum 1

Fraser S, Pienaar K, Dilkes-Frayne E, Moore D, Kokanovic R, Treloar C, Dunlop A. (2017) Addiction stigma & the biopolitics of liberal modernity: A qualitative analysis International Journal of Drug Policy 44 (2017) 102-201
Roberts, M (2005) The production of the psychiatric subject: power, knowledge and Michel Foucault. Nursing Philosophy, 6(1), 33-42
Davis, R (2005) The practice of everyday in the literature of nursing. Journal of Medical Humanities 26(1): 7-21
Lupton, D. (2015) Chapter 36: Haraway: The digital cyborg assemblage and the new digital health technologies. (In F. Collyer (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Social Theory in Health, Illness and Medicine. London: Palgrave Macmillan)

Reading Forum 2

Gullick J, Taggart S, Johnson R, Ko N. (2014) The Trauma Bubble: Patient and family experience of serious burn injury. Journal of Burn Care and Research. 35(6):e413-e247.
Monaro S, Pinkova J, West S, Gullick J. (2018) The chaos of hospitalisation for patients with Critical Limb Ischaemia approaching major amputation. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2018 27(19-20); 350-3543.
Balfe, M.(2009). The Body Projects of University Students with Type 1 Diabetes. Qualitative Health Research, 19(1), 128-139.
Hefler, M. Carter, S.M., (2017) Smoking to fit a stigmatised identity? A qualitative study of marginalised young people in Australia Health (London). 2017 Nov 1:1363459317745690. doi: 10.1177/1363459317745690.

Reading Forum 3

Just read findings section of Gullick, J., Wu, J., Reid, C., Tembo, A., Shishegar, S., Conlon, L. (2020) Heideggerian structures of Being-with in the Nurse-Patient relationship: modelling phenomenological analysis through qualitative meta-synthesis Medicine Health care & Philosophy 23(4):645-664.
O’Brien, L., & Jackson, D. (2007). It’s a long way from the office to the creek bed: Remote area Mental Health Nursing in Australia. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 18(2), 135–141.
Floyd M, Martin O, Eckloff K. (2020) A qualitative study of transgender individuals’ experiences of healthcare including radiology. Radiography 26(2020): e38-e44
Fegran, L., Hall, E., Uhrenfeldt, L., Aagaard, H. & Ludvisgen, M. (2014) Adolescents’ and young adults’ transition experiences when transferring from paediatric to adult care: A qualitative metasynthesis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51, 123‐135.

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 a comprehensive understanding of the nature of human experience, reality construction, subjectivity and meaning making, particularly in relation to experiences of illness
LO2. explore and articulate a coherent understanding of the range of human emotions and behaviours that can occur in response to illness across a range of contexts and diverse cultural groups
LO3. develop and demonstrate in clinical practice, the ability to communicate within interpersonal relationships in health care and to think critically about how these relationships might impact upon on patient comfort, health outcomes and family experience
LO4. develop and demonstrate in clinical practice, beginning skills in therapeutic listening to foster engagement, promote empathy and to respond appropriately to the communication needs of specific patient groups
LO5. identify and critically analyse published qualitative research articles demonstrating a variety of methodological approaches

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. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing 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
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing 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 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 - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 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 2.6. Uses delegation, supervision, coordination, consultation and referrals in professional relationships to achieve improved health outcomes 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 2.8. Participates in and/or leads collaborative practice 3.2. Provides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health 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 5. Standard 5: Develops a plan for nursing 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 - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing 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 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 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
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1. Standard 1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life

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
2.1		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
2.3		Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
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
2.6		Uses delegation, supervision, coordination, consultation and referrals in professional relationships to achieve improved health outcomes
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
2.8		Participates in and/or leads collaborative practice
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
3.2		Provides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health
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
4.2		Uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice
4.3		Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
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
5.3		Documents, evaluates and modifies plans accordingly to facilitate the agreed outcomes
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
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
7.1		Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
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.

There is a stronger link between the theoretical content and its application to communication labs. The number of readings has been reduced, and these are tied more closely to labs and assessments.

Additional information

Off-campus clinical experience: For this unit, students are required to undertake 80 hours of clinical experience in a primary health care setting. This clinical placement will take place in general practice or primary health care facility and depending on the facility, will allow you to explore communications and patient assessment skills, observing human growth and development, observing pre and post hospital presentations, and the presentation and treatment of chronic diseases.

More information can be found on Canvas.

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.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Handbook

Work, health and safety

Due to COVID-19

Social distancing will be observed during face-to-face communications microskills labs, with smaller class sizes
Lectures will be held in real-time online format.

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

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

NURS5006: Illness, Experience and Nursing Care

Semester 2, 2021 [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

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect