NURSING 7203 - Introducing Professional Nursing

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

This course will introduce nursing as a profession and the Acts, standards and competencies that govern the scope of practice. Evidence based practice, and quality and safety of health care will also be addressed. The importance of beginning reflective processes on learning and development will be established.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code NURSING 7203
    Course Introducing Professional Nursing
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Available to M.Clin Nurs students only
    Assessment Referencing module, literature search strategy, essay
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Ms Yvette Salamon

    Course Coordinator: Ms Yvette Salamon
    Phone: +61 8 8313 2995
    Email: yvette.salamon@adelaide.edu.au
    Location: Level 4, AHMS, Adelaide Nursing School, University of Adelaide

    School Office
    Phone: +61 8 8313 3595
    Email: nursing.studentliason@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Discuss the historical and contemporary factors influencing health care systems
    2 Differentiate health care services based on primary, secondary and tertiary categories
    3 Articulate and communicate to others the role of the professional nurse and the scope of nursing practice
    4 Identify the purposes of nurse practice Acts and standards for nursing practice
    5 Adopt a beginning level of evidence-based practice as it is used to inform critical thinking and decision-making in practice
    6 Develop skills in reflection to support ongoing development through learning experiences
    7 Debate the ethico-legal frameworks of nursing
    8 Apply foundational and factual knowledge of occupational health & safety
    9 Discuss quality and safety issues within nursing practice and the health care system
    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)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    7,8
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    5,6
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    5,6,7,9
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    2
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    3,5,6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Under development - TBA
    Recommended Resources
    Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2016 National competency standards for the registered nurse 

    Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2006 Code of Ethics

    McIlwraith & Madden 2014 Health Care and the Law 6th Ed, LawbookCo, Rozelle, NSW
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course uses a blend of lectures, tutorials and workshops to identify situations that impact the daily environment of nursing practice. Students are encouraged to consider their ‘arrival’ at the career of nursing and to actively reflect on what they consider to be the professional skills and attributes. Role plays and self -directed learning opportunities help to facilitate the reflective nature of this course.
    Workload

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

    • 3 hours in total of lecture time
    • 2 hours of tutorial time per week
    Learning Activities Summary
    The tables below indicate the lecture and tutorial outlines for Introducing Professional Nursing. Please refer to the timetable above for details on class and time. Other tutorials may be provided as required.

    Introducing Professional Nursing
    Lecture Series
    Professional issues
    1. History of nursing
    2. The role of the professional nurse
    3. Primary, secondary and tertiary care within the Australian health care system
    4. Scopes of practice
    5. Legislation in nursing
    6. Consent and negligence
    7. Professional standards and guidelines
    8. Ethical theories
    9. Ethics issues in health care
    10. An introduction to evidenced based practice
    11. Introduction to critical theory

    Safety and quality / OHS

    12. Core principles of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
    13. OHS in the health care setting
    14. Safety and Quality Systems
    15. Self-care

    Introduction to death and dying

    16. Introduction to palliative care
    17. Death and dying
    Tutorial Series
    1. Professional nurse forum – RN’s will be invited to describe their experiences of working as a registered
    2. Scopes of practice – students will create and edit a scope of practice document
    3. Legislation in nursing – students will work in groups through an assigned piece of legislation relevant to nursing 
    4. Ethical issues workshop - group role play – students will construct and enact small role plays from a list of provided topics
    5. Reflective practice workshop - a range of reflective practice exercises will be worked through
    6. Documentation - clinical handovers and documentation using the ISBAR guidelines
    7. Equipment safety and hospital safety audit
    8. Strategies for developing self-resilience
  • 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
    Pre Quiz Scope of Practice Formative 0% 1,3 & 4
    Quiz Series  Summative  30%  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9
    Professional Practice Reflective Essay Summative 20% 3, 4, 5, & 6
    Professional Issues Portfolio Summative 50% 3,4,5,6,7,8 & 9
    Assessment Detail
    ASSESSMENT 1: Scope of Practice Quiz
    Within MyUni students will be required to successfully complete a quiz relating to the content covered during your lectures, tutorials and readings in the first two weeks of semester based on their responsibilities regarding Scope of Practice which will guide care they are allowing to provide at the varying stages of their studies when out on clinical practice.

    ASSESSMENT 2: Quiz Series
    Within Canvas students will be required to successfully complete a series of quizzes relating to the content covered during lectures, tutorials and readings. A range of professional, legal and ethical topics will be assessed to determine student progress in the course and highlight their knowledge and areas for improvement in these fundamental concepts.

    ASSESSMENT 3: Professional Practice Reflective Essay
    Prior to a specified tutorial session students will be expected to complete two online tasks regarding lerning styles and personality that relate to personal reflection and assessment. During the tutorial students will discus their results and reflect on their own attributes and think of any which may impact on future practice and this will form the basis of this reflective essay and they will ouline strategies they could utilise to develop their attribute.

    ASSESSMENT 4:Professional ePortfolio Tasks and Development 
    For this assessment, students will develop an ePortfolio. The content of the ePortfolio will be based on activities and discussions held within the semesters tutorial sessions and then the concepts are developed through the students own further research and reading. Part of the assessment will be spent exploring the benefits and techniques involved in the development of a professional portfolio.
    Submission
    Unless otherwise indicated all submission of assignments is to be through the assignments portal of MyUni. TurnItin will be used to check student assignments. Students MUST keep an electronic copy of all assignments submitted. 

    Extensions are generally awarded for no more than 10 working days unless there are exceptional circumstances.

    To apply for an Assessment Extension, a student must submit an application for extension form prior to the assessment deadline. You will find this on the School of Nursing Website or use the link provided here.

     See the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303/

    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.

    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.

    Selt feedback from 2015 and 2017 indicated the teaching in the course was interactive and associated to real practice experiences. In 2015 the comments indicated that as the semester progressed attendance at lectures, but more specifically tutorials, reduced leading to less discussion regarding content and fewer perspectives presented. This was also true for 2017 although not noted in the Selt feedback. In 2015 and 2017 other comments indicated that the scheduled weekly plan was consistently disrupted leading to issues with student preparation for sessions and in 2017 there were also issues with no breaks scheduled between lectures for an entire day leading to reduced lecture time in IPN or reduced break time for lunch. In 2018 these comments will be addressed with tutorials being restructured so activities included will closely tie in with assessment outcomes and require pre and intra tutorial activity encouraging participation, the lecture sequence will be reviewed to ensure appropriate flow of concepts covered and prevent further movement for scheduled plan and finally timetabling of all lectures will ensure appropriate breaks for students.
  • 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.