Availabilities:

2021 unit offering information will be available in September 2020

Unit description

Introduces students to the principles that underpin the nursing profession and the forces that shape the individual and collective identity of nursing. Critically examines the historical evolution of nursing, contemporary practice issues, standards for practice, legislation and policy frameworks in the context of what it means to nurse and be a nurse.

Unit content

  • Analysing health care systems
  • Historical context of health and approaches to health care
  • Health of Australians and international comparisons
  • Structure and functions of the Australian health care system
    • Key features of the Australian health care system
    • Comparisons of health systems around the world
    • Governments, governance, policy and health care in Australia 
    • Funding health care in Australia
  • Health care workforce in Australia
  • Contemporary issues and trends in the Australian health care system and health workforce
  • An historical overview of nursing
  • Historical and contemporary images of nursing
  • The scope of nursing practice
  • The concept of professionalism
  • Statutory and professional regulation of nursing practice
  • Conducting a library search to locate nursing literature
  • Reviewing literature and developing an annotated bibliography
  • Sources of policy and clinical guidelines
  • Developing an annotated bibliography
  • Accountability, responsibility and duty of care
  • Introduction to common law 
  • Nursing and the law 
  • Confidentiality, consent and disclosure
  • Technologies and their use within nursing, specifically to patient safety, confidentiality and social media polices as directed by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council [ANMAC], Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency [APHRA] and the Australian College of Nursing [ACN]

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:GA1GA2GA3GA4GA5GA6GA7
1discuss the evolution of the discipline of nursing from a historical and contemporary contextEthical practiceKnowledge of a discipline
2discuss the statutory and professional governance requirements that regulate nursing practiceEthical practiceKnowledge of a discipline
3describe nursing's scope of practice in relation to multidisciplinary health teamsIntellectual rigourEthical practiceKnowledge of a discipline
4discuss the legal and ethical obligations for nursing practiceIntellectual rigourEthical practiceKnowledge of a discipline
5examine and use a range of information technologies to inform nursing practices and the delivery of health care.Intellectual rigourEthical practiceKnowledge of a discipline
6compare and contrast the health of Australians and major elements of the health care system with those of other OECD nationsIntellectual rigourKnowledge of a discipline
7discuss the impact of health care policy, funding and governance on the Australian health care system.Ethical practice

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. discuss the evolution of the discipline of nursing from a historical and contemporary context
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  2. discuss the statutory and professional governance requirements that regulate nursing practice
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  3. describe nursing's scope of practice in relation to multidisciplinary health teams
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  4. discuss the legal and ethical obligations for nursing practice
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  5. examine and use a range of information technologies to inform nursing practices and the delivery of health care.
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  6. compare and contrast the health of Australians and major elements of the health care system with those of other OECD nations
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
  7. discuss the impact of health care policy, funding and governance on the Australian health care system.
    • GA3: Ethical practice

Teaching and assessment

Notice

Intensive offerings may or may not be scheduled in every session. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Southern Cross University employs different teaching methods within units to provide students with the flexibility to choose the mode of learning that best suits them. SCU academics strive to use the latest approaches and, as a result, the learning modes and materials may change. The most current information regarding a unit will be provided to enrolled students at the beginning of the study session.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2021 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 1

Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees

International

Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

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