| Effective Term: | 2025/04 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Principles of Care for the Perioperative Patient |
| Unit ID: | HEALO6401 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (HEALT6003) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060309 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit introduces students to the core principles of perioperative nursing and collaborative care for the pre, intra and post-operative patient. This unit will support students to deliver safe and high-quality person-centred nursing care to patients presenting for surgical intervention. An inquiry-based learning framework contextualised through clinical experience will enable students to critically analyse and apply evidence based clinical reasoning within the perioperative 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 | | | |  | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically analyse and describe the concepts of anatomy and pathophysiology that inform patient management during pre- operative, intra-operative and post-operative phases of surgery across the lifespan |
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| K2. | Formulate an advanced knowledge base of the theoretical principles of pharmacological therapies, eg: anaesthetic agents, adjunct therapies and pain management, to promote the provision of high-quality care to patients requiring anaesthesia |
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| K3. | Develop understanding of assessment and monitoring of neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and haemodynamic states; concepts and principles of homeostasis related to acid-base status, fluid and electrolyte balance and haematology in the perioperative patient across the lifespan |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Demonstrate patient management priorities during the pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative phase of surgery |
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| S2. | Practical application of the concepts of anatomy and pathophysiology to patient management during pre- operative, intra-operative and post-operative phases of surgery |
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| S3. | Interpret theories of asepsis, human factors and patient safety related to the perioperative environment. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Evaluate and apply the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) Standards for Perioperative Nursing and ACORN Competencies, the National Safety & Quality in Health Care Standards and NMBA professional standards within the perioperative setting |
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| A2. | Model the skills and principles that provide a foundation for future leadership roles, including reflective practice, knowledge sharing and a commitment to life-long learning |
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| A3. | Critically reflect on the role of personal values and ethics as central to the development of culturally safe practice in perioperative nursing |
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| Unit Content: |
•ACORN Standards for Perioperative Nursing in Australia (2020), 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 content of this unit.
•Principles of assessment and management through the perioperative experience for patients across the lifespan
•Core principles of physiology and pathophysiology in the context of the perioperative patient
•Principles of pharmacology in perioperative care
•Clinical reasoning in the perioperative setting
•Principles of asepsis, surgical environmental planning, and infection control
•Principles of medico-legal and ethical aspects of perioperative nursing practice
•The physical environment of operating settings relating to flow and safety of patients
•Quality and safety in the perioperative environment
•The value of intra and inter-disciplinary collaboration in the perioperative setting |
| 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.
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| 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 |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3 | Application of theoretical knowledge and skills related clinical reasoning applied in the care of the surgical patient | Online Quizzes | 10-20% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | Application of advanced health assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care within the perioperative setting | Case study | 30-50% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A3 | Application of theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning within the content of the perioperative setting. | Written test | 40-60% |
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