NSB105 Wellness Across the Lifespan


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:NSB105
Credit points:12
Equivalent:NSD105
Coordinator:Ut Bui | thiut.bui@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This foundational unit aims to develop knowledge, skills, and attributes to work in partnership with people to promote and maintain health across the lifespan. This unit focuses on developing an understanding of the importance of person-centred care and partnerships in nursing practice using wellness across the lifespan as an organising principle. Health promotion strategies are explored in all healthcare settings, with a focus on primary health care. Global, national and local health priorities are introduced and examined with a strong focus on prevention. The impact of social determinants of health and health promotion strategies are explored. The importance of empathic communication skills in professional interactions is also a key focus. This knowledge is foundational to professional practice and enables effective health assessment and clinical decision making.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. With reference to Australia's National Health Priority Areas, describe key concepts of health and illness across the lifespan, and explain how these concepts inform nursing practice and contribute to improving health outcomes in diverse populations.
  2. Explain how social determinants of health influence the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities, and how concepts of equity and equality in healthcare are central to culturally safe nursing practice.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to apply evidence-based knowledge and skills in primary, secondary and tertiary health promotion and disease prevention contexts of care when working in partnership with individuals, families, and communities across the lifespan.
  4. Analyse and apply evidence-based health promotion principles and advanced communication strategies to effectively engage with individuals, families, and communities to lead and support sustainable attitude and behaviour change across diverse populations.

Content

Mapped course themes: Person-centred care and therapeutic communication

NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice: 1, 2

Aged Care Quality Standards: 2. Ongoing assessment & planning with consumers; 5. Organisation Service Environment,

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards: 2) Partnering with consumers;

Global/national/regional health priorities: Health priorities are introduced, with a particular focus prevention.

Contexts of Nursing: Primary care

Module 1: Global health perspectives

  • World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses (ICN) priorities
  • Global burden of disease
  • Social and environmental determinants of health in the global context
  • Concepts of health, health promotion, wellness, and illness.

Module 2: National health priorities and social context of health at the national level

  • Social, environmental, and behavioural determinants and relationship to health and disease in the Australian context
  • Overview of national health priorities
  • Consumer perspectives and experiences of health management and health promotion.
  • Partnering with consumers; communication that supports effective partnerships

Module 3: Health promotion across the lifespan 

  • Lifespan: the early years – birth to adolescence 
  • Lifespan: young adults
  • Lifespan: adulthood /middle years 
  • Lifespan: older adults 

Module 4: Health promotion in practice

  • Role of nurse in health promotion; focus on primary care settings
  • Health Literacy – communicate with patients in a way that supports effective partnerships.
  • Change management in health promotion
  • Strategies for health promotion; Ottawa Charter.

Learning Approaches

This unit will use a blend of face to face and online activities geared towards developing inquiry skills; therapeutic and professional interpersonal communication skills; and collaboration skills. You will develop and practice these skills through analysis of real world health promotion strategies. Case studies, role-plays, oral presentations using digital technologies, and online modules will be used to further develop key skills.

To appreciate the value of peers and the knowledge and experience they bring, small group tutorials will use structured exercises, evidence, and resources to support collaborative learning and inquiry. The unit coordinator and tutors are available for consultation throughout the semester in on-campus and online contexts.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback on your performance in assessment tasks will be provided in class and on an individual basis as required for each assessment.

Assessment

Overview

There are three items of assessment in this unit, that progressively build your knowledge and applied skills in health promotion. This includes an in class exam, an oral presentation, and a case study where you will demonstrate your understanding of key concepts and communication strategies to support health and wellbeing of consumers across the lifespan.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: In class exam

This in‑class assessment requires you to demonstrate your understanding of key concepts related to health and illness. You will apply your knowledge of health priority areas across the lifespan and show how social, cultural, environmental, and biological determinants of health influence health outcomes. 
 
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
 
 
Weight: 15
Length: 30 minutes
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 4
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2
Related Standards: NMBA: 1, 1.1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, 3, 3.2, 4, 4.3, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 7, 7.1

Assessment: Individual oral presentation

In this assessment, you will develop a health promotion PowerPoint presentation aimed at clearly and effectively communicating age‑specific health promotion information. Your presentation will focus on a specified health priority and be tailored to a defined target consumer group. The content should reflect evidence‑based health promotion principles and be appropriate for use in real‑world nursing and community health settings, supporting understanding, engagement, and positive health behaviours.

 

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 45
Length: PowerPoint slide presentation (6 minutes maximum and notes)
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
The oral presentation and the individual recorded video are submitted through canvas in week 6 by the due date.
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3
Related Standards: NMBA: 1, 1.1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 3, 3.2, 4, 4.3, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 7, 7.1

Assessment: Motivational Interviewing Presentation

From a health promotion perspective, you will select one provided case study and identify at least two research articles on communication strategies that support health promotion, behaviour change, and consumer engagement. Using this evidence, you will record a 3–4 minute video demonstrating motivational interviewing in response to the scenario. You will also submit a 500‑word justification explaining how the research informed your approach and supported person‑centred, empowering care.
 

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

 

 

 

Weight: 40
Length: 1000 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 12
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3, 4
Related Standards: NMBA: 1, 1.1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 3, 3.2, 4, 4.3, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 7, 7.1

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

A number of texts and online resources will be recommended for this unit and made available via QUT Readings.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first few lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area which will be indicated to you. You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times while on campus. More information on health and safety can be obtained from http://www.hse.qut.edu.au/.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Registered Nurse Standards for Practice

1: Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.

  1. The RN accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings, for safe, quality practice
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

2: Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.

  1. The RN establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  2. The RN communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  3. The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
    Relates to: Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  4. The RN provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health-related decisions
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  5. The RN actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person-centred care
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

3: Maintains the capability for practice.

  1. The RN provides the information and education required to enhance people's control over health
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

4: Comprehensively conducts assessments.

  1. The RN works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and wellbeing of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/ or for referral
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

5: Develops a plan for nursing practice.

  1. The RN uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  2. The RN collaboratively constructs nursing practice plans until contingencies, options priorities, goals, actions, outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the relevant persons
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

6: Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice.

  1. The RN provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

7: Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice.

  1. The RN evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

NS42 Bachelor of Nursing

  1. Apply scientific knowledge and skills to provide safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  2. Utilise critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital literacy skills to make ethical and sustainable evidence-based decisions and evaluate outcomes.
    Relates to: In class exam, Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  3. Practice as an ethical and culturally safe practitioner and reflect on your professional nursing identity across a range of healthcare settings.
    Relates to: Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  4. Implement effective communication skills, therapeutic relationships, and professional capabilities to practice as a registered nurse independently and in inter- and intra-professional healthcare teams, to ensure safe, person-centred, evidence-based care.
    Relates to: Individual oral presentation, Motivational Interviewing Presentation
  5. Advocate for positive individual and community health outcomes in dynamic healthcare contexts using foundational leadership capabilities.
    Relates to: Motivational Interviewing Presentation