NUR 3250 Contemporary Nursing Issues

Subject Cat-nbr Class Term Mode Description Units Campus
NUR 3250 40920 1, 2005 EXT Contemporary Nursing Issues 1.00 Toowoomba
Academic group: FOSCI
Academic org: FOS004
Student contribution band: National Priority Nursing
ASCED code: 060301

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: Cheryl Perrin
Moderator: Roslyn Reilly



REQUISITES:

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program: BNPO

RATIONALE:

Nurses require knowledge of contemporary issues such as leadership, management and models of health care to be able to fulfil their professional roles in rapidly changing health care systems.

SYNOPSIS:

This course introduces nurses to leadership, management issues and model of health care as well as building on their knowledge of professional nursing issues relevant to their country of employment.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate knowledge of the legal and ethical issues, codes & structures relevant to their country of employment;
  2. identify the major management and leadership theories and its application to the workplace;
  3. discuss and be able to apply the legal implications of contracts of employment and Worker's Compensation or relevant equivalent in their country of practice (employment);
  4. apply the principles of their country's laws specifically to abortion, surrogacy, drug offences and sexual assault cases;
  5. discuss the nurses' role in coronial inquiries, documentation of wills, advanced health directives and enduring power of attorney;
  6. discuss the allocation of health resources from an ethical position;
  7. analyse nursing's responses to changes in health care systems, both in terms of changes in consumer needs and in models of health care;
  8. outline the duties of the Health Rights Commission or equivalent in their country of employment.

TOPICS:


Description Weighting (%)
1. LEGAL ISSUES: Law of employment - Master/servant relationships; independent contractor, workers' compensation and industrial law. Law of Succession - Wills. Coronial Law - Coroner's Act, Transplant of organs and Nurses Act. Health Act - Child care and protection, advanced health directives and enduring power of attorney. Criminal Law - Abortion, surrogacy, Druges Misuse Act. Sexual Assault.
 33.00
2. ETHICAL ISSUES: Ethical theories, Ethical principles, Ethical decision making in nursing.
 33.00
3. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES: Nursing Management and its Challenges, Management Theory & Practice, Nursing Leadership and its Challenges, Leadership Theory and Practice, Economic & Political Aspects of Health Care.
 34.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Girvin, J 1998, Leadership and Nursing, MacMillan Press Limited, London.

Grohar-Murray, ME & Dicroce, HR 2003, Leadership and Management in Nursing, 3rd edn, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Johnstone, M 2004, Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective, 4th edn, Harcourt, Sydney.

Staunton, P & Chiarella, M 2003, Nursing and the Law, 5th edn, WB Saunders, Sydney.




REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

MacFarlane, PJ & Reid, SJ 2003, Queensland Health Law Handbook, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane.

National Health and Medical Research Council 1997, Donating Organs After Death: Ethical Issues, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

National Health and Medical Research Council 1997, Ethical Issues in Donation of Organs or Tissues by Living Relatives, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

National Health and Medical Research Council 1997, Ethical Issues Raised by Allocation of Transplant Resources, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Queensland Government 1998, A Guide to the New Laws about Enduring Power of Attorney (Available: http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/publications.htm) .

Sale, DNT 2000, Quality Assurance: A Pathway to Excellence, MacMillan Press Ltd, Basingstoke.




STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ACTIVITY HOURS
Assessment 15.00
Directed Study 130.00
Private Study 30.00


ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date
ASSIGNMENT 40.00 40.00 29 Apr 2005
3 HR RESTRICTED EXAMINATION 60.00 60.00 END S1 (see note 1)
NOTES:
1.
Examination dates will be available during the Semester. Please refer to the Examination Timetable when available.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

  1. Attendance requirements:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To complete the assignment satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for the assignment. To complete the examination satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for the examination.
  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of a passing grade, students must demonstrate, via the summative assessment items, that they have achieved the required minimum standards in relation to the objectives of the course by satisfactorily completing all summative assessment items (the examination and assignment).
  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
  6. Examination information:
    In a Restricted Examination, candidates are allowed access to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination); calculators which cannot hold textual information (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during the examination; English translation dictionaries (but not technical dictionaries); Formula sheets; Translation dictionary. Students whose first language is not English, may, with the Examiner's approval, take an appropriate non-electronic translation dictionary (but not a technical dictionary) into the examination. Students who wish to use a translation dictionary MUST request and receive written approval from the Examiner at least one week before the examination date. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession unitl appropriate disciplinary action is completed, if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.
  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
  8. University Regulations:
    Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

9. The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.
10. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. If requested, students will be required to provide a copy of assignments submitted for assessment purposes. Such copies should be despatched to USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request to do so from the Examiner.
11. The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
12. The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media.
13. The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.
14. Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in the course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of the course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non directed personal study.
15. Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Students need to be conversant with and will require access to e-mail and the internet access to USQConnect for this course.