NURSING 7101 - Professional Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2022

This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to consider a number of issues faced by registered nurses in advanced practice settings. Concepts such as accountability, ethical decision-making, advocacy, leadership in nursing practice, culturally competent nursing, evidence-based practice and the nurse practitioner role are considered as this course assists the student to explore the parameters within which nurses practice.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code NURSING 7101
    Course Professional Practice
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Face to Face weekly compulsory sessions for international students as per ESOS compliance
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Available to M.NurSc and G.DipNurSc students only
    Assessment Online quiz, portfolio of activities
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Ms Alison Walsh

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 demonstrate academic writing skills
    2 demonstrate skills in critical analysis
    3 Describe and analyse the changing nature of professional nursing work in contemporary health systems
    4 explain the concepts of accountability, responsibility, ethics and moral decision-making
    5 discuss evidence based health care and its relationship to nursing practice
    6 explain leadership and collaboration within the health care setting
    7 understand the development of culturally competent nursing practice
    8 describe the role of the advanced nurse within the Australian health care setting.
    9 apply the knowledge gained through this course to the practice area in which the student currently is employed.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    3,7,8,9

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1,2,5.

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    9

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    8,9,6

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    4,7

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    7

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    3,8,9

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    7,9
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Texts
    There is no prescribed text for this course but the recommended texts are reference throughout this course and provide valuable reading. It is recommended that you have continual access to these resources.

    Reader
    The readings for this course are available electronically via MyUni.
    Please note: it is your responsibility to organise printing should you prefer a hard copy of the reader.
    Recommended Resources
    Daly, J, Speedy, S & Jackson, D (eds) 2010, Contexts of nursing, 3rd edn, Elsevier, Marrickville.

    Courtney, M & McCutcheon H (ed.) 2010, Using evidence to guide nursing practice, Elsevier, Sydney.

    Staunton, P & Chiarella, M 2013, Law for nurses and midwives, 7th edn, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, Sydney.


    Note: You are not required to buy recommended texts. However, they provide valuable supplementary reading on various aspects of the material covered within this course and you are encouraged to have a look at them.
    Online Learning
    MyUni
    All students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework nursing program have access to the School of Nursing – Postgraduate Coursework Student Centre on MyUni. If you would like the opportunity to network with other students, you can use the Communication features in the site. This site will also feature information about the latest news and events at the School of Nursing.

    Unified
    http://unified.adelaide.edu.au/
    UNIFIED is your one-stop shop for email, calendar, MyUni and Access Adelaide. It even allows you to search the Library.
    UNIFIED is available to all active students; with a single login you can access your student systems and personal information through a central website. Login with your Student ID ("a1234567") and Password.

    For more information, including easy to follow instructions visit https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/web/mycampus/home.

    Library Resources
    Help for Nursing Students
    The University of Adelaide Library has a website to help nursing students use the library and its resource (www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/med/nursing).

    Remote student library service
    The University of Adelaide Library provides a document delivery and loans service to non-metropolitan students who do not visit a University of Adelaide campus to attend classes (www.adelaide.edu.au/library/docdel/external.html).
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is presented in an external mode off campus and therefore there is no attendance at lectures or tutorials required. Students are encouraged to discuss the content with work colleagues to enhance their learning.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    It is expected that you will need to invest about 12 hours per week of study to successfully complete this course. It is recommended that you plan your time commitment to the course at the beginning of the semester.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The course content will include the following:

    1. Introduction to Professional Practice
    2. Nursing in the 21st Century and Beyond
    3. Nursing Practice within a Bureaucratic Organisation
    4. Ethical responsibility in Nursing Practice
    5. Nursing and the Law
    6. Clinical Accountability and Evidence Based Practice
    7. Leadership and Teamwork in Nursing
    8. Developing Culturally Competent Healthcare
    9. The Advanced Practice Nurse
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
    Online Quiz Formative N/A All
    Essay Summative 40% All
    Critique of a Coronial report Summative 60% All
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment 1 Online Quiz (formative)
    Weighting: None

    Assessment 2 (Portfolio A) Ethical Decision Making Essay

    Weighting: 40%
    Length: 1,500 words

    Assessment 3 (Portfolio B) Critique of a Coronial report
    Weighting: 60%
    Length: 2,250 words
    Submission
    Assessments, unless otherwise stated in your Study guide, are to be submitted electronically via Assignments in MyUni on the due date identified in this Study guide. Instructions for assignment submission are available for all students under Tutorials at www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/.

    An assessment submitted via MyUni must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file. If submitting a PowerPoint presentation for marking, the .ppt or .pptx must be submitted as .pdf file. It is also important to submit your file under your name, such as surname.firstname. MyUni stamps all the other details against your filename once you submit your assessment.

    An Assignment Coversheet must be submitted with each assessment. The coversheet should be the first page of your assessment. A word version of the Assignment Coversheet is available to download at www.health.adelaide.edu.au/nursing/students/resources. The Plagiarism Statement must be signed and dated for your assessment to be marked (please note the details stated on the Assignment Coversheet). More information on avoiding Plagiarism is available at www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/plagiarism/.

    If you have difficulty submitting your assignment, you can call the MyUni helpdesk from 8am to 6pm 08 8303 3335.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Plagiarism
    Students are reminded that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a serious offence and can result in disciplinary procedures. Students are advised to read the policy Academic Honesty and Assessment Obligations for Coursework Students Policy & Coursework Students: Academic Dishonesty Procedures policy, available at www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/. The following definitions should be noted.

    Referencing: providing a full bibliographic reference to the source of the citation (in a style as determined by the School).
    Quotation: placing an excerpt from an original source into a paper using either quotation marks or indentation, with the source cited, using an approved referencing system in order to give credit to the original author.
    Paraphrasing: repeating a section of text using different words which retain the original meaning.
    Please note: changing just a few words does not constitute paraphrasing.


    Marking Guide
    Portfolio Part A&B

    Structure and Writing Style 20%
    Structure (15%)
    • Each section of the portfolio is structured in a logical sequence so that the content flows (headings may be used to develop the structure of the portfolio).

    • Where appropriate introduces/outlines/situates the activity/discussion.

    • Where appropriate each section of the portfolio ends with a cogent, defendable conclusion that summarises the discussion within the body of the paper.

    Writing Style (5%)

    • The portfolio is written with clear sentence structure and the spelling and grammar are correct.
    Content 70%
    • Demonstrates an understanding of the activities/discussions chosen by identifying the main components/issues/focus of the topic area.

    • Provides evidence of support from contemporary literature to support argument/points of view.

    • Where appropriate for the activity demonstrates critical thought.

    • Has completed all activities/discussion points.
    Referencing 10%
    • The referencing style used throughout the summary paper is congruent with the Discipline’s Student Handbook and Style Guide.

    • The reference list is accurate (i.e. no missing page numbers, volumes, correct title etc), complete (i.e. no references in the body of the paper are missing from the reference list) and consistent with the Discipline’s Student Handbook and Style Guide.

    • The references cited are contemporary (i.e. less than 10 years old unless seminal papers).

    • Primary references are used predominantly (i.e. the original reference has been cited rather than a secondary source).

    • There is evidence in the summary paper that the student has searched widely for information related to the topic/issue.

    • The student has acknowledged all sources of information.

    • Direct quotations are only used to make crucial points or to support the discussion/argument.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    The SELT feedback was generally positive and students enjoyed the course. This feedback will be considered in the future review of the course.
  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.