Course Title: Aged Care Nursing

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Aged Care Nursing

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
NURS1134	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2009, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 1 2013
NURS2011	Hamilton Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2009, Sem 2 2010
NURS2131	Sale Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2009

Course Coordinator: Eleanor Holroyd

Course Coordinator Phone: 99257179

Course Coordinator Email: eleanor.holroyd@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.06.11

Course Coordinator Availability: As indicated by availabilty on door. Or by appointment at other times

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course explores the complex social, psychological and physical nature of the ageing process. Building on the student’s knowledge of Foundations of Nursing 1,  this course will examine normal and pathological processes of ageing. The students will gain in-depth knowledge about the policies and practices associated with aged care. Students will examine hospital, low and high level care policies and practices as well as learn community models of aged care.

This course provides you with the knowledge to practice aged care nursing within the community and the acute care sector. Aged care Nursing greatly assists you to understand theories of ageing and service delivery before your first clinical placement. 

This course assists you to develop capabilities in patient assessment and collection, analysis and documentation of patient data. You will also gain an understanding of policies underpinning aged care.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Capabilities you will develop include:

• Undertaking assessments using a structured approach
• Collecting and recording data regarding the health and functional status of older individuals and groups
• Analysing and interpreting patient data
• Developing a care plan using consistent and appropriate nursing principles
• Take appropriate nursing action in regard to legislation and common law affecting the care of individuals
• Practice to ensure safe outcome
• Maintain documentary records that are accurate and in accordance with the principles of confidentiality
• Assess the communications needs of older individuals and groups

Having studied this course, you should also be able to:

• Articulate various theories on ageing including biological and psychosocial theories
• Incorporate normal age related physiological changes into nursing care of the older person
• Evaluate the health maintenance of older people including hydration, nutrition, elimination and skin integrity
• Describe how Federal and State policies on aged care affect older people particularly in relation to community and residential care
• Articulate various nursing strategies in relation to the care of older people with particular nursing needs
• Incorporate various models of discharge planning including Hospital in the Home and Post Acute care into caring for the older person
• Use knowledge of various community based agencies who support older people in the community

Overview of Learning Activities

Student learning activities will be presented in a variety of modes. Students will be expected to read online notes and attendant readings before attending lectures. Lectures and online notes directly relate to online discussion groups.

 As students progress through the course, it is expected that the students will then begin to develop skills in critical thinking.
Students will be expected to relate topics to ‘real’ situations from their own experiences and also relate to other courses undertaken in the Bachelor Program.

 Students will be asked to participate in all discussion topics.

Overview of Learning Resources

Online Learning tools and content

As a student in this program you may access online learning tools and content for your program and associated courses from myRMIT Studies.

Overview of Assessment

There will be a formative and a summative assessment undertaken throughout this course to support your ability to  indentify your knowledge acquistion and to met the university and registration board  requierment. Detials of these assessments will be found in part B of the course guides.