Governance in Healthcare

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
?   Display Outline Guidelines      


Effective Term: 2026/05
Institute / School :Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Unit Title: Governance in Healthcare
Unit ID: HEALT6005
Credit Points: 30.00
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Co-requisite(s): Nil
Exclusion(s): Nil
ASCED: 060300
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

This unit connects the strategic, tactical and operational aspects of healthcare leadership by examining how strategy, governance, risk management, quality care frameworks, and national health priorities drive policy development, service delivery, compliance and continuous improvement at the daily operational level. Students will develop advanced critical thinking to evaluate the internal and external factors influencing service delivery at the point of care.

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component:
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 CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                                
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                        
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Explain the goals, structures and processes of governance in the Australian healthcare context and their relationship to quality health care.

Skills:
S1.

Analyse how clinical governance supports quality health care outcomes at the local point of care context.

S2.

Critically evaluate the engagement of consumers as partners in local healthcare planning and delivery and identify opportunities for improvement. 

S3.

Critically analyse and evaluate contemporary ethical and legal dilemmas in healthcare delivery.

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Evaluate a healthcare setting through the lens of clinical governance and risk management frameworks to identify and analyse issues and areas for improvement.

A2.

Create strategies and propose plans, using a relevant Australian healthcare framework, to enhance delivery of local healthcare services.

Unit Content:

Topics may include:

  • Examination of key frameworks and regulatory requirements that impact service delivery such as clinical governance framework, NSQHS & ACQS, AHPRA regulations and health professions legislation, Clinical Risk Mgt, Risk mgt framework, Incident reporting Privacy Principles, Mandatory reporting, Open disclosure, Sentinel events and SIRs in Aged care etc.
  • The role of strategic planning in healthcare organisations and how this influences operational decisions; basic concepts of health service governance and the connection to State and Federal policies, government departments and agencies eg. Safer Care Victoria, Equal Opportunity.
  • Shifting government policy and priorities and how this impacts health services delivery- for example National Health priorities and Dept of Health Annual Statement of Priorities and identifying how these impact at the operational level.
  • Understanding and leading change.
  • Contemporaneous healthcare issues, ethical and/or legal healthcare dilemmas or controversies related to service delivery.
  • Consumers as partners in local healthcare planning and delivery.
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 descriptorDevelopment and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
Level
FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal

Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams.

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 2
Leadership

Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations.

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity

Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning.

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy

Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities.

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset

Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life

1 - Yes
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeighting
1.S3

Debate between groups of students around contemporary ethical issues in health care.

Debate

20-30%

2.K1, S1, S2, A1

Develop a vision/priority statement for own work area or healthcare team.

Poster Presentation and Reflection

30-40%

3.K1, S1, S2, A1, A2

Identify and analyse a problem in healthcare setting and develop proposal for remediation/improvement.

Report

40-50%

Adopted Reference Style:
APA  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency