Course Outline Report: NUR208

What is this course about?

Description

*Not offered until Trimester 2, 2027*
This course prepares you to provide nursing care for people with acute and ongoing physical and mental health needs across the lifespan. You will explore how trauma, culture, chronic illness, and life-span development influence health experiences. Using person-centred, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented approaches, you’ll assess and manage common conditions. The course emphasises therapeutic relationships, wellness, culturally safe care, and includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on mental health.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity	Hours	Beginning Week	Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Online asynchronous learning and teaching materials.	1hr	Week 1	12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial	2hrs	Week 1	12 times

Course Topics

Foundations of Person-Centred Nursing
Introduction to recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and person-centred care; lifespan development principles.
Development and Models of Care
Developmental theories; applying person-centred, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented models.
Chronic Physical Health Conditions
Overview of cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, and musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Mental Health Across the Lifespan
Common mental health presentations and considerations for different life stages.
Ongoing and Acute Mental Health Care
Chronic conditions, acute episodes (e.g., psychosis), and the nurse’s role in supporting self-management.
Mental Health Comorbidities
Interactions between chronic physical and mental health conditions; health promotion and living well strategies.
Mental Health Assessment and Ethics
Mental status examination, risk assessment, screening tools, and legal/ethical frameworks.
Pain and Symptom Management
Physiological and psychological dimensions of pain; acute vs chronic pain; person-centred approaches.
Acute Physiological Deterioration
Recognition, pathophysiology, and nursing management of haemodynamic instability.
Infection and Sepsis
Assessment and management of infection; sepsis; infection prevention and control practices.
Collaborative and Interprofessional Practice
Team roles, family and community engagement, admission and discharge principles.

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to...		Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...	Professional Standard Mapping * Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
1	Assess and plan safe, person-centred care for individuals with acute and ongoing physical and mental health conditions across the lifespan.	Empowered	1.1, 1.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.3
2	Integrate trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally safe approaches into mental health and acute care nursing practice.	Ethical	1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 6.1
3	Apply evidence-based interventions for common acute and chronic health conditions, recognising early deterioration and responding appropriately.	Engaged	1.1, 1.5, 3.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5
4	Demonstrate collaborative practice with individuals, families, carers, and interprofessional teams to optimise health and recovery outcomes.	Empowered	2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 3.3, 5.1
5	Integrate academic conventions, effective communication techniques, and proficient digital literacy skills to produce coherent, ethical, scholarly, and professionally relevant work, engaging collaboratively where required	Ethical	1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.3, 7.2, 7.3

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE	COMPETENCY
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
1.1	The RN accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice
1.2	The RN develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice
1.4	The RN complies with legislation, common law, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice when making decisions
1.5	The RN uses ethical frameworks when making decisions
1.6	The RN maintains accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation of assessments, planning, decision- making, actions and evaluations
2.1	The RN establishes, sustains and concludes relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships
2.2	The RN communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights
2.3	The RN recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life
2.5	The RN advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity
2.6	The RN uses delegation, supervision, coordination, consultation and referrals in professional relationships to achieve improved health outcomes
2.7	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
3.1	The RN considers and responds in a timely manner to the health and well being of self and others in relation to the capability for practice
3.3	The RN uses a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self and others
4.1	The RN conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate
4.2	The RN uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice
4.3	The RN works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
5.1	The RN uses assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan
5.3	The RN documents, evaluates and modifies plans accordingly to facilitate the agreed outcomes
6.1	The RN provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people
6.2	The RN practises within their scope of practice
6.5	The RN practises in accordance with relevant nursing and health guidelines, standards, regulations and legislation
7.2	The RN revises the plan based on the evaluation
7.3	The RN determines, documents and communicates further priorities, goals and outcomes with the relevant persons

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

HLT108 and enrolled in UB013 Graduate Entry Pathway

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

NUR241

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Completing the quiz in week 3 will help you gauge your progress and prepare for applying these concepts to more complex case scenarios later in the course.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode	Task No.	Assessment Product	Individual or Group	Weighting %	What is the duration / length?	When should I submit?	Where should I submit it?
All	1	Quiz/zes	Individual	20%	30 minutes	Week 3	Online Test (Quiz)
All	2	Oral and Written Piece	Individual	40%	7-10 minutes	Week 7	Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All	3	Written Piece	Individual	40%	2000 words	Week 12	Online Test (Quiz)

All - Assessment Task 1:Online quiz

Goal:

To consolidate early knowledge of acute, chronic, and mental health conditions, and test foundational concepts in safe, evidence-based care.

Product:

Quiz/zes

Format:

In this quiz, you will respond to a series of questions based on the concepts introduced in the first weeks of the course. Questions may include multiple-choice, short response, drag-and-drop, or matching formats.

Criteria:

No.

Learning Outcome assessed

Demonstrates accurate understanding of the principles of safe, person-centred care in acute, chronic, and mental health contexts

1 3

Applies evidence-based reasoning to identify safe and appropriate interventions for common presentations.

2 3

Generic Skills:

Problem solving, Organisation

All - Assessment Task 2:Recorded Group Presentation with Individual Reflection

Goal:

To develop skills in collaborative practice, applying trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally safe approaches to real-world nursing scenarios.

Product:

Oral and Written Piece

Format:

In small groups, you will be provided with a case scenario involving an individual experiencing acute or ongoing health challenges with mental health considerations. Your group will record a short presentation that demonstrates how you would apply evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally safe strategies in partnership with the individual, their family, and carers.

Following the group presentation, each student will submit an individual reflection (500 words) discussing what they learned from the process of working collaboratively, and how the principles of recovery-oriented care influence their professional practice.

Criteria:

No.		Learning Outcome assessed
1	Demonstrates integration of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally safe approaches in planning care.	2 3
2	Demonstrates collaborative practice within the group and in response to the case scenario.	4
3	Reflects meaningfully on teamwork and personal learning in relation to recovery-oriented practice.	4 5
4	Applies academic conventions and ethical use of intellectual property in presentation and reflection.	5

Generic Skills:

Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation

All - Assessment Task 3:Case Study

Goal:

The goal of this task is to assess your ability to apply clinical reasoning and evidence-based interventions to case scenarios involving acute, chronic, and mental health conditions.

Product:

Written Piece

Format:

You will be provided with a case scenario involving an individual experiencing an acute or ongoing health challenge, including mental health concerns. Drawing on the case details and relevant literature, you will write an analysis that:
•	Assesses and plans safe nursing care for the individual
•	Explains and applies evidence-based interventions to manage acute deterioration or ongoing care
•	Considers culturally safe and person-centred approaches
•	Critically reflects on the role of collaboration with families, patients, and the healthcare team in achieving safe and effective outcomes.

Criteria:

No.		Learning Outcome assessed
1	Assesses and plans safe, person-centred care across acute, chronic, and mental health contexts	1
2	Applies evidence-based interventions and clinical reasoning to respond to deterioration and recovery needs.	2 3
3	Demonstrates collaborative and recovery-oriented approaches in care planning.	4
4	Applies academic conventions and ethical use of intellectual property in responses	5

Generic Skills:

Problem solving, Organisation

Assessment to competency mapping

Programme Delivery Mode	Assessment Type	Title	Competency	Teaching Methods
Registered nurse standards for practice - 1 June 2016
All delivery modes	Oral and Written Piece	Recorded Group Presentation with Individual Reflection	1.1	Assessed
			1.2	Assessed
			1.5	Assessed
			2.1	Assessed
			2.2	Assessed
			2.3	Assessed
			2.5	Assessed
			2.6	Assessed
			2.7	Assessed
			3.1	Assessed
			3.3	Assessed
			3.5	Assessed
			5.1	Assessed
			6.1	Assessed
			6.2	Assessed
	Quiz/zes	Online quiz	1.1	Assessed
			1.2	Assessed
			1.4	Assessed
			1.5	Assessed
			2.1	Assessed
			2.3	Assessed
			2.5	Assessed
			3.1	Assessed
			4.1	Assessed
			4.2	Assessed
			4.3	Assessed
			5.1	Assessed
			5.2	Assessed
			6.1	Assessed
			6.2	Assessed
	Written Piece	Case Study	1.1	Assessed
			1.2	Assessed
			1.4	Assessed
			1.5	Assessed
			2.1	Assessed
			2.2	Assessed
			2.3	Assessed
			2.5	Assessed
			2.6	Assessed
			2.7	Assessed
			3.1	Assessed
			3.3	Assessed
			3.5	Assessed
			4.1	Assessed
			4.2	Assessed
			4.3	Assessed
			5.1	Assessed
			5.2	Assessed
			6.1	Assessed
			6.2	Assessed

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.

Required?	Author	Year	Title	Edition	Publisher
Required	n/a	0	LEWISS MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING	n/a	n/a
Required	Kim Foster,Peta Marks,Anthony O'Brien,Toby Raeburn	2020	Mental Health in Nursing	n/a	Elsevier

Specific requirements

Not applicable

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct.

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
Review of Assessment and Final Grades
Supplementary Assessment
Central Examinations
Deferred Examinations
Student Conduct
Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

In person:
- UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
- UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
- UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
- UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
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Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au