Course Title: Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Health Care

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Health Care

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

NURS1043

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Distance / Correspondence

 Sem 2 2008,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 2 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 2 2015

NURS1043

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 2 2013

NURS1043

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2006,
Sem 2 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 2 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009

Course Coordinator: Dr Jennifer James

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6650

Course Coordinator Email: jennifer.james@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.07.06


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

To be eligible to undertake this course you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Registration Board of Australia as a Registered Nurse with general registration
Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning. For further information go to:

www.rmit.edu.au/students/enrolment/credit/he


Course Description

This is a one-semester post-graduate course which provides an opportunity for registered nurses to review, discuss and analyse a number of key Australian contemporary health issues and relate them to their nursing practice. Analysis is made of the impact of demographic, ideological, economic and technological changes on current health policies and health care practice. The ambit of health care includes both mental and physical health and in keeping with current emphases in nursing practice, there is a particular focus on disease prevention and on policies which promote the maintenance of wellness in the community.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Course Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

  • analyse and synthesise  contemporary health care knowledge and its application to specialised practice.
  • critically analyse the impact of demographic changes and epidemiological findings on the development of Australian health care policies & practices
  • locate current Australian and international health evidence-based health care developments that apply to your practice
  • critically review the legal, ethical and practice impact of changing technologies on professional  nursing practice
  • identify the effects of globalization on health care issues.


Program Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the development of the Program Learning Outcomes in the following way:

For students undertaking  the Mental Health Program:

  • PLO 4:  The Mental Health Nurse collaboratively plans and provides ethically based care consistent with the mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, social and cultural needs of the individual.
  • PLO 7:  The Mental Health Nurse demonstrates evidence based practice and actively promotes practice innovation through lifelong education, research, professional development, clinical supervision and reflective practice.

For students undertaking the Family and Child Health Program

  • PLO 1: Applies reflective thinking and critical analysis in maternal and child health nursing practice
  • PLO 6: Advances knowledge in maternal child health nursing assessment and counselling


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities you will undertake during this course include a mixture of formal lectures or on line learning packages, class based or online discussion and self-directed learning exercises including directed reading of academic literature to provide a solid theoretical basis to help you to achieve professional practice. 


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources associated with this course will include targeted readings taken from a range of both primary and secondary sources. Material to be chosen may be digitally available to you. Lecture material will be delivered via Lectopia, Discussion Board interaction and Blackboard Collaborate workshops. Practice learning activities may be provided in a variety of ways, including simulated learning activities. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through the online system.


Overview of Assessment

The assessment associated with this course will comprise a formative and summative assessment and incorporate a variety of assessment modes. Your assessments will take the form of  written work requiring critical review and analysis of the literature and contemporary health care challenges in the 21st century.

For information on grades used in RMIT courses see: www.rmit.edu.au/students/grading/highered

Assessment completed in the first half of the semester will provide feedback on your progress. Ongoing feedback on your skills will be provided from peers and staff.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

This course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced, at:

www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment