Outline

Overview

This unit of study complements Illness Experience and Nursing Care, focusing on the responses of individuals and others to disruption to health. This unit of study aims to address issues surrounding acute nursing practices for various patients with common health care needs. Nursing practices associated with: the restoration and maintenance of oxygenation, ventilation and circulation; metabolism and elimination; consciousness and regulation; and movement and protection, are expanded upon using the framework for practice thinking. A life span approach will be used throughout with a focus on how diseases manifest and are treated differently as they occur at different life stages. In this unit of study students will further develop comprehensive health assessment skills and their understandings of accurate medication administration.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	NURS5084
Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	NURS5082 and NURS5081
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Charmaine Bonus, charmaine.bonus@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Charmaine Bonus, charmaine.bonus@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Assessment 2: Examination Held during the examination period at the end of semester 2.	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Placement	Clinical Assessment 3: Off-campus Clinical Clinical placement	0%	Multiple weeks	80 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Clinical Assessment 1: Medication Assessment Calculation questions	0%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2020 at 12:00	20 questions. 45 minutes quiz duration.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 1: Written assignment case study Case study essay	50%	Week 09 Due date: 11 Oct 2020 at 23:59	2,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Clinical performance appraisal (CPA) IM injection + IV med into a bag of IV fluid for infusion via macro set	0%	Week 11	35 minutes (+ reading time)
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Case study: You are required to review a case study and answer a question.
Written exam: The exam content will be taken from lectures, tutorials and clinical simulation laboratories exploring knowledge related to the concepts examined in this unit of study.
Medication assessment: The medication assessment will consist of the calculation of accurate medication doses for patients of all ages. 100% accuracy is required and each student will be given three opportunities to achieve this level of accuracy with appropriate remedial assistance between each attempt. Failure to reach 100% after 3 attempts will require a meeting with the unit coordinator to discuss competency.
Clinical performance appraisal (CPA): After successfully engaging in all on-campus clinical sessions, students will be able to demonstrate, in a simulated environment, safe, efficient, and effective performance of nursing practices associated with acute care nursing. During the assessment, students will be required to respond appropriately to patient scenarios by demonstrating the appropriate nursing interventions developed and practised throughout the semester as well as those learned throughout previous nursing practice units. To obtain a satisfactory grade for the Clinical Performance Appraisal (CPA), students must demonstrate competency in all of the critical elements of the skills assessed.

Each student is required to submit all assessment items and achieve a minimum of 50% of the overall available marks for the non-clinical assessment component. 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. Welcome and introduction to unit; 2. Applying A-G assessment 3. Management of fluid imbalance	Lecture (2.5 hr)
Week 01	Acute Intracranial Problems	Lecture (2 hr)
	Case scenario 1 - Inpatient fall requiring among other care, neurological assessment including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)	Tutorial (2 hr)
	IV fluid administration via a MACRO gravity giving set	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 02	1. Acute Kidney Injuries 2. Gastrointestinal problems	Lecture (2.5 hr)
Week 02	Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injections	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 03	Orthopaedic injuries	Lecture (2 hr)
	Case scenario 2 - Pt who has undergone a hemiarthroplasty and requires care including neurovascular assessment	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Preparing an IV medication for infusion. Invovles loading the IV medication into a 100mL bag of compatible IV fluid and infusing this using a MACRO gravity giving set	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 04	Nursing care of the older person	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Administering IV fluid via an infusion pump Administration of scheduled medications	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 05	Nursing the patient who has experienced a stroke	Lecture (2 hr)
	Case scenario 3 - Planning the care for a patient who has experienced an ischaemic stroke	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Insertion of a nasogastric tube (NGT)	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 06	Cardiac nursing with a focus on nursing care of the patient who has experienced an ACS	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Nursing care of a patient who has experienced an ACS. Includes conducting a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG)	Practical (2 hr)
Week 07	Acute respiratory illnesses, including acute exacerbations of chronic respiratory conditions	Lecture (2 hr)
	Case scenario 4 - Nursing care of a patient who has experienced an ACS	Tutorial (2 hr)
	High fidelity simulation. In groups of 3, management of a patient experiencing an ACS. 15 minutes for each group, plus debriefing session after the simulation activity. This will be the same patient case scenario as week 6 in the simulation lab., but this is an opportunity to consolidate your learning in a different simulated environment.	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 08	Delirium and dementia	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	IV fluid administration via a MACRO gravity giving set	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 09	Nursing the paediatric patient in acute care settings	Lecture (2 hr)
	Case scenario 5 - Paediatric / adolescent exacerbation of asthma	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Nursing care of the paediatric / adolescent patient experiencing an acute exacerbation of asthma. In the context of the case scenario, this is also an opportunity to also consolidate leaning in preparation for the Clinical Performance Appraisal (CPA) in Week 11. (Intramuscular injection AND Preparing and loading an IV medication into a 100mL bag of IV fluid for IV infusion via a MACRO gravity giving set).	Simulation laboratory (2 hr)
Week 10	1. Management of unstable diabetes 2. Exam review	Lecture (2.5 hr)
	Case scenario 6 - Hypoglycaemia management	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Nursing care of the diabetic patient experiencing a hypoglycaemic episode. In the context of the case scenario, this is also an opportunity to also consolidate leaning in preparation for the Clinical Performance Appraisal (CPA) in Week 11. (Intramuscular injection AND Preparing and loading an IV medication into a 100mL bag of IV fluid for IV infusion via a MACRO gravity giving set).	Practical (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance and participation:
This 6 credit point unit of study is conducted through a blend of on campus attendance (face to face lectures, tutorials, clinical simulation laboratory sessions, study days) and self-directed, online learning supported by the University’s eLearning platform. The work in this unit of study reflects approximately 120 hours of student learning (both on and off campus). It is expected that the student will actively engage with the unit of study materials, which directly relate to the learning outcomes and are designed to assist with successful completion of assignments.

Students are required to attend 100% of all clinical hours, including on-campus tutorial/laboratory hours and off-campus clinical. These clinical hours must be reported to the Nurses and Midwives Board of Australia (NMBA) as a requirement for registration on completion of the nursing program.

If you are absent from lectures, tutorials or laboratory sessions you are urged to apply for Special Consideration:

http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/special_consideration/index.shtmlLinks to an external site.

If you have been absent without leave from more than 10 percent of classes in any one semester in a particular unit of study, the Head of School may ask you to show cause why you should not be deemed to have failed to complete that unit of study.
Referencing guide: The Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing style, 6th Edition, 2010 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

NURS5084, 2020 Reading list

Required textbooks:

Crisp, J., Douglas, C., Rebeiro, G., & Waters, D. (2017). Potter and Perry’s fundamentals of nursing (5e, Australian version.). Elsevier Australia.

Brotto, V., & Rafferty, K. (2020). Clinical dosage calculations for Australia + New Zealand (3rd edition.). Cengage Learning Australia.

If this is unavailable through the library, then the previous edition below will suffice:

Brotto, V., & Rafferty, K. (2016). Clinical dosage calculations for Australia + New Zealand (2nd edition.). Cengage Learning Australia.

Brown, D., Edwards, H., Seaton, L., Buckley, T., & Lewis, S. (2019). Lewis’s medical-surgical nursing : assessment and management of clinical problems (Fifth edition, Australia and New Zealand edition.). Mosby/Elsevier Australia.

O’Toole, M. (2016). Mosby’s medical dictionary (10th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.

Staunton, P., & Chiarella, M. (2017). Law for nurses and midwives (8th edition.). Elsevier Australia.

Articles supporting weekly classes:

Yeh, H., Shao, J., Li, C., Wu, C., & Shyu, Y. (2017). Predictors of postoperative falls in the first and second postoperative years among older hip fracture patients. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(21-22), 3710–3723. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13743

Crowfoot, G., Riet, P., & Maguire, J. (2018). Real‐life experiences of people with transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke: A qualitative literature review [Review of Real‐life experiences of people with transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke: A qualitative literature review]. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(7-8), 1381–1398. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14271

Schwarz, M., Coccetti, A., Murdoch, A., & Cardell, E. (2018). The impact of aspiration pneumonia and nasogastric feeding on clinical outcomes in stroke patients: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(1-2), e235–e241. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13922

Coventry, L., Schalkwyk, J., Thompson, P., Hawkins, S., & Hegney, D. (2017). Myocardial infarction, patient decision delay and help‐seeking behaviour: a thematic analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(13-14), 1993–2005. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13607

Withers, A., & Green, R. (2019). Transition for Adolescents and Young Adults With Asthma.(Report)(Author abstract). Frontiers in Pediatrics, 7(JULY), 301. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2019.00301

Mbuzi, V., Fulbrook, P., & Jessup, M. (2017). Indigenous peoples’ experiences and perceptions of hospitalisation for acute care: A metasynthesis of qualitative studies. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 71. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1945727510/

Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). (2019). Injection: Subcutaneous [Recommended practice]. Retrieved from https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61USYD_INST/1c0ug48/alma991027462709705106

Slade, S. (2020). Intramuscular injection: Aspiration [Evidence summary]. Retrieved from https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61USYD_INST/1c0ug48/alma991027462709705106

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. Demonstrate safe, efficient and effective performance of nursing interventions for comprehensive care of a variety of common, acute disruptions to health, in simulated and clinical settings. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 7.1)
LO2. Understand and articulate the professional language associated with a variety of common, acute disruptions to health. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards:1.6, 2.2, 3.2, 5.1, 5.2, 7.3)
LO3. Communicate effectively through verbal and non-verbal means with patients & families from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, colleagues and other healthcare professionals. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards: 1.1, 1.6, 2.2, 2.7, 3.2, 3.4, 5.1, 5.2, 6.6, 7.3)
LO4. Integrate and critically apply knowledge from nursing science and evidence-based practice to enhance practice thinking relevant to the health needs of the acutely ill person across the lifespan. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards, 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 2.2, 2.7, 3.4, 5.1, 5.2, 6.6, 7.3)
LO5. Integrate and critically apply the legal principles that underpin the quality use of medicines across clinical practice settings. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.7, 3.4, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.6, 7.3)
LO6. Understand the clinical governance, ethical and professional dimensions of their beginning practice to support ongoing development through learning experiences in both on or off campus clinical contexts. (NMBA Registered Nurse Standards: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.7, 3.1, 3.4, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.6, 7.1, 7.3)

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

Responding to student feedback

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

Changes made to the unit of study for 2019 in response to student feedback include changes to the medication assessment, the assignment and the order in which of clinical skills are taught in the clinical simulation laboratories.

Additional information

On-campus clinical sessions: This unit of study has two hours per week of on-campus clinical weeks commencing in Week 1. The on-campus clinical sessions will be conducted in the clinical simulation laboratories. Students will be involved in demonstrations, discussion, supervised practice, and other activities that complement and extend the information discussed in the lectures.

More information can be found on Canvas.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Handbook

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

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

NURS5084: Nursing the Acutely Ill Person

Semester 2 Early, 2020 [Normal day] - Westmead, 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

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect