NUR3050 Professional Issues in Nursing

Contents

• Staffing
• Other requisites
• Rationale
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

OTHER REQUISITES

RATIONALE

Nurses need to analyse historical events that have had an impact on the discipline of nursing and the forces that have shaped the profession of nursing. Knowledge of legal and ethical principles is necessary to prepare the nurse for professional practice.

SYNOPSIS

This course consists of three modules - Law, Ethics and Practice. The course explores contemporary theories to analyse the continuing debate about the essence of nursing. It discusses history and theories of nursing and also examines legal, ethical and practice issues that may confront the nurse. The course also explores contemporary issues in health care and how they affect the practice of nursing in Australia.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. discuss and review the historical factors which have influenced the evolution of nursing (1500 Word Assignment);
2. discuss and debate how theories influence nursing practice (1500 Word Assignment);
3. differentiate between a nursing model and a nursing theory (1500 Word Assignment);
4. apply legal principles to nursing and related health care situations (Mid-Semester Test);
5. apply ethical principles to nursing and related health care situations (1500 Word Assignment);
6. explore patient/client issues that can pose as ethical dilemmas (1500 Word Assignment);
7. use ethical decision-making models in nursing and related health care situations (1500 Word Assignment);
8. examine the contemporary role of the nurse in health care (1500 Word Assignment).

TOPICS

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).

Forrester, K & Griffiths, D 2004, Essentials of law for health professionals, 2nd edn, Harcourt, Sydney.

Instructional Guide 2007, Course NUR3050 - Professional Issues in Nursing, USQ Publication, Toowoomba.

Johnston, MJ 2004, Bio-Ethics: a nursing perspective, 4th edn, Churchill Livingstone, 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.

Australian nursing journal,

The Queensland nurse,

Australian journal of advanced nursing,

Queensland nursing forum,

Nursing Ethics, An international journal for health care professionals,

1992, Queensland nursing act,

ANMC Code of professional conduct for nurses in Australia, http://www.anmc.org.au.
(www.anc.org.au)

Berglund, C 2005, Ethics for health care, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.

Greenwood, J (Ed) 2000, Nursing theory in Australia: development and application, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.

Meleis, A 2007, Theoretical nursing: development and progress, 4th edn, Lippincott, Philadelphia.

RCNA International nursing review: official journal of the International Council of Nurses,

Russell, RL 1990, From nightingale to now: nurse education in Australia, WB Saunders, Sydney.

Staunton, P & Whyburn, B 2003, Nursing and the law, 5th edn, Elsevier, Marrickville, NSW.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

Test date will be available during the semester. Students are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the Closed Mid-Semester Test.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and 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 each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% 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 receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
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:
   There is no examination in this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.
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

This version produced 11 Jul 2008.