| Effective Term: | 2025/04 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Core Principles of Care for the Intensive Care Patient |
| Unit ID: | HEALC6401 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (HEALT6003) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060309 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This post graduate unit enables the Registered Nurse to develop and integrate advanced level theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning for the care of the critically ill. It is patient based on the application of a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of illness and injury of major body systems across the lifespan in intensive care settings. This unit will adopt a systematic approach as a framework for supporting the systematic assessment and ongoing management of the critically ill patient in the provision of safe and high quality nursing in the intensive care setting. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | |  | | |
|
| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically analyse and describe the applied pathophysiology as related to a critically ill patient with a condition that results in alterations or failure of various body systems across the lifespan. |
|
| K2. | Demonstrate an indepth understanding of advanced nursing assessments using a systematic approach that enables accurate clinical judgement and collegial decision making for nursing interventions of the critically ill patient. |
|
| K3. | Analyse and describe theoretical underpinnings of systematic diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative techniques associated with the care of the critical ill patient across the lifespan. |
|
| Skills: |
| S1. | Perform indepth and systematic advanced patient assessments of the critically ill patient that informs nursing interventions. |
|
| S2. | Demonstrates the sound theoretical knowledge that informs clinical and practical skills related to the care of the critically ill patient . |
|
| S3. | Apply advanced analytical skills and accurately interpret data gained from nursing assessment, monitoring and laboratory findings to evaluate therapeutic interventions. |
|
| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate safe clinical assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care of the critically ill patient, commensurate with the competency standards of critical care professional organisations and regulatory bodies. |
|
| A2. | Apply leadership attributes and professional practice consistent with the National Safety and Quality Health Services standards when caring for health care consumers as part of the interdisciplinary team in intensive care settings. |
|
| A3. | Gain the ability to engage in life-long learning through reflective practice and seek learning opportunities to keep abreast of digital and non-digital advances in healthcare and engagement. |
|
| Unit Content: |
Practice Standards for Specialist Critical Care Nurses (2015), National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017-2019), Registered Nurse Standards for Practice (2016) and International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses (2012) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. Topics may include: Applying advanced pathophysiological concepts of acute conditions in the context of the critically ill patient. Advanced systematic assessment of the critically ill patient. Principles of advanced therapies, monitoring and diagnostics in the care of the critically ill patient in the intensive care environment. Principles of advanced interventional therapies in the critically ill patient in the intensive care environment |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
|
| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
|
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A3 | Assessment of theoretical knowledge and skills related to unit content | On-line Quizzes | 10-30% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Application of advanced theoretical and clinical reasoning in the care of a deteriorating patient in an intensive care environment. | Case Study | 30-50% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Application of theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning for the care of the critically unwell patient in diverse clinical contexts across the lifespan. | Written Test | 30-50% |
|