NSB600 Introduction to Nursing Children and Childbearing Families
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | NSB600 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | Successful completion of 144cp including NSB131 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | $592 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,704 |
| International unit fee | $4,848 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | NSB600 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | Successful completion of 144cp including NSB131 |
| Coordinator: | Debbie Long | da.long@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit provides an overview of the theoretical concepts and clinical application principles for practice in nursing and midwifery care for children and childbearing families. It addresses the childbearing process and the developmental stages of childhood and family dynamics, allowing the nursing role to contribute to maintenance and promotion of family health. Learning activities in this unit aim to develop your understanding of the role of the nurse or midwife as provider of care for women and their families during the normal childbearing process and during childhood. The unit is offered in blended mode and a large amount of independent study is required using online resources.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Assess patterns of human growth and development commencing with conception and extending to adolescents
- Identify physiological, psychological, social, and cultural implications of, and changes to the childbearing/childrearing process as they affect parents and their families in Australia
- Discuss the role of the nurse or midwife in providing care for the childbearing/childrearing parents and their family
- Outline the implications of physiological, psychological, social, and cultural factors on critical events and milestones during childhood
Content
The content of this unit will be explored and discussed from biopsychosocial, cultural, ethico-legal, historical, economic, and educational perspectives.
Scope of practice
An introduction to the role of the midwife in caring for women and their families during the childbearing process: the role of the nurse in caring for children and their families within a primary healthcare framework.
Clinical problem solving
Module 1
- Adaptational changes in the woman during pregnancy, transition to parenthood, parturition, and puerperium
- Principles of caring for the woman, foetus, and family (including health education).
Module 2
- Human patterns of growth and development from infancy through primary school
- Factors that lead to changes in or influence patterns of growth and development
- Anatomical and physiological changes beginning with conception through to the beginning of adolescence.
Module 3
- Principles of caring for children, including adaptation
- Thermoregulation, fluid, and nutrition
- Psychological, physiological, social, and cultural effects, and responses to chronic and acute health problems
- Common infectious diseases during childhood
- Immunisation
- Common acute and chronic health problems during neonatal period and childhood.
Learning Approaches
A variety of approaches will be used to facilitate your learning during this unit. These have been developed to allow for flexibility. The unit will be taught through a series of self-paced modules supported by on-campus seminars and online supports. The teaching approaches during the seminars may include case presentations, discussions, and small group activities. Throughout these seminars, discussion will be used to encourage you to critically reflect on your clinical experiences and apply principles learnt during first and second year to specialty areas of practice. The application of relevant competencies, codes of practice, and ethics will also be discussed during the seminars.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback on your progress in the first assessment will inform your development of the second assessment piece.
Assessment
Overview
There are two summative assessments in this unit, a filmed role-play at the beginning of semester that will serve as a stimulus for assessment 1. Assessment 2 requires you to produce a 5–7-minute podcast designed for a parent audience.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Essay - Video Stimulus
In small groups, students will participate in a filmed role-play at the beginning of semester seminar. The scenario will depict a real-world practice situation (e.g., a midwife supporting a culturally diverse family during antenatal care). The filmed scenario will serve as the video stimulus for this assessment.
Each student will then independently write a short essay that addresses evidence-based practice and reflective positionality in relation to the scenario.
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Podcast
This assessment requires you to produce a narrative-style podcast episode designed for a parent audience. Your podcast will explore a topical issue in child health or child development in Australia.
The aim is to translate evidence into engaging, plain-language communication that supports parents to understand and act on contemporary health issues affecting children.
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
Online resources will be recommended for this unit.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Fraser, J., Waters, D., Forster, E., & Brown, N. (2022). Paediatric nursing in Australia: Principles for practice (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Risk Assessment Statement
If you are distressed by issues explored in the content of this unit you should approach academic staff or consult the university counselling service. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first 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/.