NSN923 Nursing Professional Practice
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: | NSN923 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | NSN923 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Graduate capabilities developed in undergraduate study |
| Coordinator: | Helen Donovan | h.donovan@qut.edu.au |
Overview
As healthcare professionals within the Australian healthcare system, registered nurses must possess a comprehensive foundation of knowledge, skills, and attributes to provide culturally safe, person-centred, and inclusive care to individuals across diverse backgrounds and throughout the lifespan. In their role as patient advocate, nurses are required to work and lead collaboratively from an evidence-based position, upholding regulatory, ethical, professional and quality standards. This leadership ensures that healthcare delivery is equitable and meets the expectations of consumers, employers, the nursing profession and the broader community.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply and critically reflect on the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice (2016), NMBA Code of Conduct (2018), National Health Priority Areas, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, and Aged Care Quality Standards to demonstrate how these frameworks inform and guide the delivery of culturally safe, person-centred nursing care across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings.
- Critically interpret and apply diverse dimensions of communication to establish, maintain, and evaluate therapeutic relationships and collaborative partnerships in healthcare settings
- Critically apply and evaluate the influence of social determinants of health to inform strategic decision-making and advocate for equitable, culturally safe healthcare practices (SDG 10) that address structural barriers and improve health outcomes across diverse populations.
- Analyse and critically reflect on contemporary leadership theories and practices to evaluate the role and influence of the enterprising nurse leader within the Australian healthcare system, enabling safe, ethical, and high-quality nursing care
Content
- Mapped course themes: Person-centred care and therapeutic communication; cultural safety; evidence-based foundations of safe practice
- NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice: 1, 2, 4
- National Safety and quality health service standards: 2. Partnering with consumers, 5. Comprehensive care, 6. Communicating for safety
- Aged Care Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Introductory: Learning that supports development of skills that include searching and reviewing research and other evidence for translation into practice.
Key concepts addressed in this unit include:
Module 1. Person centred care and therapeutic communication.
NMBA Professional practice standards (2016); Aged Care Quality Standards (Aust Govt) examined from the position of:
- Person-centred care: what it is and its role in providing safe provision of quality nursing care.
- Therapeutic communication: what it is and how person-centred-care is central in developing a therapeutic relationship
Module 2: Social determinants of health across health care sectors in Australia.
Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights (ACSQHC) and the national health priorities Australia (Sustainable Development Goal 3), examined from the position of:
- Social determinants that influence health care needs and health literacy levels across the Australian population.
- Sociological perspectives on health systems that influences consumer experiences of health inequality and health inequity.
Module 3: Nursing Practice and the Australian Health Care System
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (ACSQHC) examined from the position of:
- Nursing practice within care delivery models and different levels of health care (primary, secondary, tertiary).
- Nursing practice within health care delivery systems across different health care sectors (remote, rural, regional, metropolitan)
Module 4: Cultural safety and culturally safe practice.
NMBA Code of Conduct (2018) and Code of Ethics (2021) (Sustainable Development Goal 10) examined from the position of:
- Cultural safety and creating a culturally safe health care environment.
- Applying the concepts of cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence to achieve culturally safe nursing practice.
Module 5: Leadership and change.
NMBA Decision making frameworks (scope of practice, delegation of care, advocacy) examined from the position of:
- Leadership in nursing practice: what is a nurse leader and how do nurse leaders ensure safe practice?
- As a nurse leader, working to be part of the change process to influence positive health outcomes. What is an enterprising nurse leader?
Module 6: Professional collaboration
The Open Disclosure Framework (ACSQHC) and (NMBA) Standards of Practice (2016) examined from the position of:
- Collaborative partnerships and conflict resolution.
- Inter and intra professional communication and teamwork
Learning Approaches
This unit will use a blend of face to face and online learning. You will be expected to actively engage with, and take responsibility for, self-directed learning. The unit coordinator and tutors will be available for consultation throughout the semester in on-campus and online contexts. You are encouraged to develop peer networks to support a collaborative approach to learning.
The unit will use a blend of face-to-face and online activities to develop analytical skills, self-reflection skills, and a collaborative approach to inquiry, inter/professionalism and learning. You will develop and practice reflection skills and reflective writing. You will engage in group discussions and activities in class to begin to confront and explore key themes and ideas, and to apply models, frameworks, and standards for inquiry and practice. To appreciate the value of peers and the knowledge and experience they bring, small group tutorials will use structured exercises, readings and resources to lead collaborative learning, encourage critical inquiry, and to reflect on a range of issues.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
- Ongoing formative feedback via online quizzes, self-check exercises, peer feedback and through individual or whole of class feedback in online discussions or comments in online communities
- Formal written or recorded feedback on both formative and summative assessment tasks Via Turnitin, in addition to the grade on the Criterion Reference Assessment sheet.
- The unit coordinator and tutors will be available for consultation throughout the semester in on-campus and online contexts
Assessment
Overview
There are three summative assessments to be completed in this unit. The first assessment consists of an inclass exam that takes place during tutorials to provide you with early feedback on your understanding of the content in this unit. The second develops your capability in reflection and understanding of professional collaboration in the workplace. Assessment three requires you to apply your understanding of nursing professional practice concepts and selected themes to a provided example highlighting your understanding of therapeutic relationships and partnerships in health care.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Exam
The exam will consist of a series of multi-choice/multi-answer and true false questions. The exam can only be accessed when in attendance to your tutorial through the CANVAS site. Concepts examined are drawn from unit content-based reading materials. The exam has 30 questions which are randomly selected from a 90-question bank.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
Assessment: Tutorial Case Studies
Assessment 2 consists of two components. One is a reflection and the other a short discussion paper. The discussion paper addresses workplace conflict (in an authentic scenario) that is scaffolded in the classroom tutorial. The other is a written reflection of a case study discussed in the classroom in small groups where you will work through two tasks.
The discussion paper will provide the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of social determinants of health in the Australian health care system.This assessment provides feedback on your understanding of unit concepts, progress and informs your preparation for assessment 3.
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.
Assessment: Critique of a health care issue
You will be provided with the transcript of a collaborative meeting addressing a health care issue set in a residential aged care facility. The task is to write an essay that addresses the health care issue and its impact on the resident and the registered nurse. You will also be asked to identify and justify the effectiveness of certain collaborative elements evidenced in the script. Students are encouraged to use Microsoft CoPilot to generate this script.
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.
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.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. Substantial computer-based work will be required, please make sure you adjust your workstation and take regular rest breaks.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.NS89 Master of Nursing - Entry to Practice
- Integrate and apply scientific knowledge and skills to the provision of safe, holistic, person-centred, evidence-based nursing care across the lifespan.
Relates to: Tutorial Case Studies, Critique of a health care issue - Critically analyse and evaluate theoretical, simulated and real-life clinical scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and digital proficiency to propose and evaluate clinically safe and sustainable decisions.
Relates to: Exam, Tutorial Case Studies, Critique of a health care issue - Practice as an ethical, inclusive, culturally safe and reflective practitioner to refine your professional identity and practice in a range of health service settings.
Relates to: Exam, Tutorial Case Studies, Critique of a health care issue - Advocate for positive health outcomes for individuals and community using influence and leadership capabilities in dynamic healthcare contexts.
Relates to: Exam