SPECIALITY CORE COURSES

Perioperative Nursing I
Teaching period: Semester 1
This course provides the clinician with the clinically-focused skills to function as a perioperative nurse within all clinical areas of the perioperative environment. It focuses on clinical skill acquisition based on principles of practice and demonstration of practical skills that are reinforced within the clinical environment. Following this course the clinician will be able to function at a rudimentary level within the areas of anaesthetic, operating room and recovery nursing. Topics within this course include airway management, care of the patient undergoing surgical procedures and essential perioperative skills.

Perioperative Nursing II
Teaching period: Semester 1
This course provides the clinician with the advanced clinical skills to function as an advanced perioperative nurse within the operating room environment. Examples of the topics within this course include the specialist clinical practice relating to the sub specialties, clinical management of complex patients and professional issues relating to their role.

Nursing & Medical Science in Perioperative Nursing I
Teaching period: Semester 1
This course links theory with practice and consists of field based learning within the area of advanced practice in the acute care setting supported by online tutorials, lectures and workshops. It focuses on relevant advanced clinical skills acquisition covering topics from advanced life support, an introduction to mechanical ventilation, haemo-dynamic monitoring, assessment and management of the critically ill patient through to arrhythmia and ECG interpretation via field based learning in the practice setting.

Nursing & Medical Science in Perioperative Nursing II
Teaching period: Semester 2
This course provides the clinician with advanced knowledge that focuses on their clinical practice. It focuses on theoretical frameworks of care through structured learning within relevant areas of perioperative practice. Following this course the clinician will have advanced knowledge to enable them to function at an advanced level within the area of operating room nursing. Topics within this course include knowledge of advanced practice for special surgical procedures and theoretical knowledge of complex conditions relating to clinical practice.

CORE COURSES

Developing Advanced Practice in Health Systems I
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines contemporary issues related to advanced nursing practice and considers the supports and constraints within which nurses
practice. Topics include ethics of care, leadership, advocacy, evidence based practice, health service management, professional standards, health informatics and multicultural health care.

Developing Advanced Practice in Health Systems II
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines the evaluation of clinical practice through clinical audit. Students progress through a series of readings and activities that introduce clinical audit and then progressively work through the processes involved in the development, conduct and reporting of an audit of clinical practice.

Focused Reading in Clinical Nursing (for students granted advanced standing)
Teaching period: Semester 1 or Semester 2
This course examines contemporary clinical nursing practice through a critical review of the literature with a focus on acute care nursing practice. Students are required to follow a protocol to ensure scientific rigour and minimise potential bias.