Integrating Nursing Concepts 1 (10203.2)

Required texts

 Essential Resources: 

Crisp, J., Douglas, C., Rebeiro, G. & Waters, D. (2021). Potter and Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing- ANZ. (6th Ed.). Elsevier.

Med+Safe®  

• All INC units use Med+Safe®. Students will be provided access to this resource during the teaching periods they are enrolled in an INC unit. Details of how to access this resource will be made available on the Unit Canvas site. 

Recommended Reading: 

You will need to be familiar with the following resources which may be used throughout the semester as you work through the modules, as well as in preparation for you assessments and practical experience placement (PEP):

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2020). Australian Charter of Health Care Rights (2nd Ed.).  https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-06/Charter%20of%20Healthcare%20Rights%20A4%20poster%20ACCESSIBLE%20pdf.pdf

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2021). National safety and quality health service standards (2nd Ed.). https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-05/national_safety_and_quality_health_service_nsqhs_standards_second_edition_-_updated_may_2021.pdf

International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN code of ethics for nurses. https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/2023-06/ICN_Code-of-Ethics_EN_Web.pdf

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Registered nurse standards for practice. http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspx 

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2018). Code of Conduct for Nurses. https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines-statements/professional-standards.aspx

Harris, P., Nagy, S., Vardaxis, N. (2018). Mosby's Medical Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions. (3rd Edition). Elsevier.

Students must be familiar with the Nursing student Practical Experience Placement (PEP) guidelines, the scope of practice document and the Faculty of Health Placement Guidelines.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychology Association (7th Ed.).Author. (Full book)

• All UC nursing courses use APA 7th Edition for referencing.

• Students may choose to either purchase this text or access a copy from the library to support their learning throughout the semester. 

• Use of a referencing text is beneficial and can be used throughout your program of study. 

• The UC Library also has a referencing guide which can be found here: https://canberra.libguides.com/c.php?g=599301&p=4148716  

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their assessment during business hours to ensure access to Student Support Services including IT Service Desk and the Library.  It is important to note that personal network/ computer/ technical problems are generally not considered acceptable grounds or reasons for an extension to the due date. Students who are experiencing difficulty uploading a submission are strongly encouraged to take a screenshot of any error messages, including the date and time, and contact Service Desk for technical support. 

Students must submit their own original work that has not been previously submitted for assessment at the University of Canberra. Self plagiarism is grounds for referral for academic misconduct. In this content the student is being assessed as an individual. Where the student participates in a group or paired assessment in a clinical unit (including but not limited to team-based assignment, clinical hurdle assessments and/or OSCE), each student's work is being assessed individually and concern related to collusion will be referred to the ADE (Health) as per the summary inquiry process.

Students must ensure that when applying for an extension to the due date their application meets the requirements as per the University of Canberra Assessment Procedures. This means that student's must ensure that when applying for an extension, all required components are submitted to the assessment extension application prior to the assessment due date. It is the student's individual responsibility to ensure the application is completed in full and in a timely manner.

In the event that a student experiences significant extenuating circumstances, the unit convenor may seek guidance from the BN Convenor to support the students progression and participation across enrolled units of study within the same teaching period. Please see the extension section of this unit outline and the dedicated page on the BN Canvas site for more information.

To pass this unit, students must:

• Submit all assessment items as instructed, and
• Attend all allocated workshops and seminars, and
• Achieve a minimum score of 80% on the invigilated Med+Safe quiz, and 
• Achieve satisfactory completion of pre-PEP hurdles, and
• Meet attendance requirements of the scheduled PEP, and
• Achieve a satisfactory assessment for PEP, and
• Achieve 50% overall.

Special assessment requirements

Moderation

Moderation will be undertaken for assessment items to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. Moderation processes are in line with the Faculty of Health guidelines and the University Assessment Procedures

Illness

It is strongly advised that students do not submit an assessment or sit an exam if they are ill or hold a current medical certificate. No consideration will be given for illness when the assessment or examination is marked. In the event students are ill, they are strongly advised to apply for an extension to the due date of an assessment, as outlined on the unit Canvas site and/or contact the Unit Convenor to arrange a deferred due/exam, prior to the due date of the assessment/exam.

Supplementary assessment

Will not be offered to students.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Learner engagement

All Bachelor of Nursing students are expected to undertake a minimum of five (5) hours per week per unit of directed/self-directed learning (SDL), related to content engagement, assessment preparation, clinical learning, or revision, in addition to their timetabled unit contact (i.e., lectures, workshops, seminars).

In nursing where PEP is a requirement for professional registration, hours expected for engagement and to meet the unit requirements are necessarily adjusted and may fluctuate during the teaching period.

Inclusion and engagement

Any student with a reasonable adjustment plan (RAP) is asked to contact inclusion@canberra.edu.au to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be required for PEP. A RAP cannot be automatically applied to PEP and students must seek a Placement Support Letter from the Inclusion Team in addition to their RAP.

Students within 364JA Bachelor of Nursing must ensure that they meet the Inherent Requirements relevant to the profession of nursing – it is each students responsibility to read and understand these UC Nursing Inherent Requirements statements. For support in meeting the inherent requirements, please make a time with Inclusion and your Course Convenor

Participation requirements

Attendance

It is expected that students will participate in all learning opportunities in this unit. This is inclusive of all timetabled activities. Assessment items are linked to the unit learning outcomes, the NMBA Registered Nurse standards for practice and professional codes. Therefore, all students are required to attend and actively participate in all learning activities scheduled for this unit. Student can self-select their preferred classes via the Allocate+ system.

All students are reminded that it is an ANMAC requirement that students compete their students onshore, in Australia. This applies to both domestic and international students. If you are scheduled to undertake a unit of study in the upcoming teaching period and are experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing you from remaining onshore, please contact the International Nursing Student Convenor or the BN Convenor to discuss your ongoing course progression.

Students are expected to attend their allocated weekly workshop and seminar. It is the students own responsibility to ensure they have read and understood the attendance requirements for this unit of study. Failure to meet the attendance requirements of this unit will result in a NN grade. In the event that a student experiences extenuating circumstances impacting on their ability to attend their allocated workshop, the student must notify the unit convenor via the unit email and provide documentary evidence to support their absence. 

Approved Absences, opportunity to clarify learning and make up requirements – All units

Approved absences, supported by documentary evidence, will be determined at the discretion of the unit convenor, in line with the information available on the individual unit Canvas site. It is the responsibility of the individual student to seek clarification if they have questions related to the content missed. In the first instance, students are expected to post their questions on the available discussion boards and await a response from the teaching/convening team or their peers.  

Ongoing points requiring clarification are to be addressed in the available make-up sessions. Students are also afforded the opportunity to contact the convening team via the Unit Convenor email. 

Approved absences are not considered grounds for appeal.

INC Units

As stipulated in this unit outline, students are required to attend 100% of the scheduled timetable activities for this unit. 

When an approved absence is granted for a seminar, the student will be:

• Expected to revise any content missed (inclusive of seminar activities, required readings, Canvas activities), AND
• Required to attend the available makeup seminar session
  • Students will be advised of the available session via the unit Canvas site.

When an approved absence is granted for a practical workshop, the student will be:

• Expected to revise any content missed (inclusive of seminar activities, required readings, Canvas activities), AND
• Required to attend the available makeup seminar session
  • Students will be advised of the available session via the unit Canvas site.

It is expected that students will make themselves available for the session's relevant to their approved absence. 

Absences from PEP requires notification to the placement site and your CLN/CF as soon as possible before the commencement of the rostered shift. Students will be asked to provide evidence for the reason their absence either in the form of a medical certificate or a statutory declaration, the form of required evidence will be determined by the CLN/CF in consultation with the Nursing Professional Practice Convenor. Absences from PEP will be required to be made up in allocated make up time. If the absences from PEP for an INC unit exceed 20% of the allocated hours, the student will be required to complete the make up before being able to pass the PEP and hence the unit. This may delay the progress of the student's into the next INC unit. PEP make up time will be scheduled as available in industry, student personal circumstances will be considered wherever possible when scheduling makeup, however at times availability is limited. This may also affect a students progression on rare occasions. If a student has missed PEP due to injury or illness, the student will be required to obtain a fitness for practice certificate from a medical practitioner before makeup will be scheduled. 

The theoretical underpinning of caring science is fundamental to ensure safe nursing practice. Completion of all learning modules, including directed and self-directed study, and active participation in workshops and seminars is expected. Participating in workshop discussions to clarify concepts and to develop confidence with professional communication and verbally expressing ideas can be helpful for students and also supports the learning of student peers (see NMBA Standards for Practice Standard 2 and related criterion).

All INC Units are linked to PEP and as such, completion of all learning modules, including directed and self-directed study, and active participation in face to face workshops is expected. Practical workshops attendance and active participation is required to enable students to practice the ‘skilful doing' aspects of nursing practice. Practical workshops enable students to translate concepts and theoretical understanding into ‘real world' applications safely while practicing professional communication skills. Absence from practical workshops must be notified to the Unit Convener via email with documentary evidence provided for a make-up workshop to be considered. Failure to attend practical workshops (as per 5b) will prevent students from progressing to a PEP, hence failure to attend practical workshops is grounds for an NC (fail grade) in this unit.

Pre-Placement requirements

Pre-Placement Requirements must be attended to and submitted via InPlace. Please consult with the Placement Team if your criminal record check or immunisation schedule will become out-of-date while on placement for 2024.

Failure to complete the pre-placement requirements will result in the student's scheduled placement to be cancelled and an NC grade will be awarded. For more information regarding pre-placement requirements please review the work integrated learning (WIL) section of this unit outline. The due date for completion of pre-placement requirements is Friday 5th April, 2024.

Required IT skills

Please note the materials required for this unit section. You will require computer skills to access the internet and upload to the Canvas university site submissions in various formats. This unit may involve online meetings in real time using a virtual room. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, please visit the UCLearn Student Help link.

Students undertaking units where there are assessment items conducted online are strongly encouraged to test their setup during the semester. Where support for troubleshooting technical issues is identified by students, students are encouraged to seek support from Service Desk.

In-unit costs

Costs

The following costs are expected with this unit:

• Textbooks
• Uniform
• Self printing of any electronic material provided
• Simple hand held calculator
• Potential costs associated with remote learning activities and/or assessments  (e.g. reliable computer and internet connection).

Work placement, internships or practicums

INC Units

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) has accredited the UC Bachelor of Nursing program. For UC graduates to be eligible for registration as a nurse in Australia, attendance on PEP for the required number of hours over the course is mandatory. Therefore, attendance is compulsory for all scheduled PEP.

To meet the requirements of the Bachelor of Nursing degree, students must successfully complete the set number of clinical hours within a variety of clinical settings. The University of Canberra has developed relationships with a range of public and private health service providers to achieve this requirement. Students are representing the University and are expected to meet the University student conduct requirements.

PEP is organised by the CareersUC Placement Team and are scheduled throughout the calendar year, including during class free periods. Once allocated to PEP, students are expected to be available to attend that placement in the roster given by the placement site. There are a range of important learning opportunities available throughout the shift and students are expected to avail themselves of these opportunities. Please note the deadline for Extenuating Circumstances applications for placement will be Friday 5th April.

Students are required to be punctual for placement and should receive their rostered shifts from the CareersUC Placement Team or directly from the allocated PEP site.

Required PEP Documents and Assessments

In each Integrating Nursing Concepts (INC) canvas unit, the platform SmartaBase is used to record students PEP assessments, goals, reflections, and clinical attendance. Students will be provided information and education on using the system and associated placement requirements.

In line with requirements stipulated in the Student PEP guidelines any evidence of extenuating circumstances that affect a student's attendance schedule and/or location of PEP, must be provided to the Clinical Placements Team, by the deadline announced on the BN Canvas sites, for consideration during PEP scheduling. This includes clinical placement letters from Inclusion.

Prior to commencing clinical placement all students are required to:

• Read the welcome email sent to them by their CLN/CF thoroughly and complete relevant activities stipulated in the letter.
• Complete all pre- placement requirements set by the Careers UC Placement team including the Pre-Place module.

During clinical placement all students are required to:

• Complete and submit their mid-placement assessment.
• Please note: It is expected that students will complete their scheduled PEP, in consecutive days. This is to support their learning and development, and to facilitate assessment of students against the required standards. Where students are absent from PEP and the absence impacts on continuity of assigned PEP, the remainder of the student's scheduled PEP may be rescheduled. The rescheduled PEP will be inclusive of the outstanding PEP hours and any required make-up time, to afford opportunity for the student to undertake PEP as required and be assessed appropriately.

After clinical placement all students are required to:

• Complete and upload a copy of their Clinical Attendance Record (CAR) to SmartaBase.
• Sign their ANSAT to acknowledge their understanding of their assessment.
  • This must be completed within seven (7) days of completion of clinical placement.  

Students who do not complete above activities, within the required timeframes, will not be able to commence/continue or finalise their PEP resulting in a fail (NC) grade.

Students who are unsuccessful in any INC unit will be required to complete all assessments (including all PEP hours) in a subsequent offering of the unit to progress in their program (i.e PEP hours from an unsuccessful attempt at an INC unit are not included in the PEP hours calculated for the program). 

Additional mandated pre-placement requirements:

Pre Place is a required module and must be completed by any student attending a placement/internship. Students are required to upload the specific documents, and complete the outlined training. To access this course please follow this link https://uclearn.canberra.edu.au/enroll/GBYNB8. 

Students will not be permitted to attend placement until they have completed the training and uploaded evidence to InPlace.

Students are advised to review InPlace regularly to check the status of their pre-placement requirements and to ensure that all contact details are up-to-date. This information must include an emergency point of contact or next of kin.

The CareersUC Placement Team requires evidence of the following before a placement can be organised:

• Immunisations
• TB Screening
• NSW Health Forms
• National Criminal History Check
• Working with Vulnerable People Card
• Manual Handling Training Assessment

The student needs to upload this information to InPlace and ensure it is verified (green status) by the scheduled due date: 5th April 2024.

Students are required to be familiar with the Pre-Placement requirements and Placement checks and clearances pages.

Industry mandatory requirements:

Students will be advised of any mandatory eLearning which must be completed for specific clinical placement sites via email or InPlace notification. Students are required to complete all eLearning as directed in this correspondence in order to participate in their PEP as scheduled.

Failure to complete required eLearning, or pre-placement requirements, within the advised timeframes will result in the cancellation of clinical placement (PEP) and a fail (NC) grade for the unit.

 Please see the BN Clinical Placement Canvas site and the Clinical Placement website for further detailed information.

Manual Handling

Students should check InPlace to ensure their Manual Handling training is current. Annual manual handling training is a pre-placement requirement for all nursing students in any health care facility. This may be in addition to any other e-learning required by a Health Service. Training information can be found on the Faculty of Health Canvas site. Students must complete all of the online Manual Handling training modules and the quiz. Students must complete  the online Manual Handling training module and the quiz by 5th April 2024. Evidence of successful completion of the quiz is then uploaded to InPlace to show proof of completion of manual handling online training. A practical training session will be needed and will take place between 10-14th June. All students will be required to attend the practical training session of manual handling prior to attending their PEP. 

Students should ensure that enough time is allowed to complete the online modules (1-2 hours), leaving this until the last moment will result in the student not being able to complete Manual Handling training and subsequent cancellation of their placement.

Failure to complete the required Manual Handling training, within the advised timeframes, will result in the cancellation of clinical placement (PEP) and a fail (NC) grade for the unit.

Make up time

Unless they have evidence of extenuating circumstances, students are expected to complete all rostered clinical practice days, to satisfactorily meet the requirements of the Integrating Nursing Concepts unit. The Bachelor of Nursing 364JA is accredited to include 840 hours of supervised practice for course completion.

Students who are approved to complete make-up days as a result of absence due to extenuating circumstances, will have this arranged by the CareersUC Placement Team and will be notified via InPlace.

Students are strongly encouraged to self-audit their clinical hours regularly and compare these to the hours recorded on their InPlace profile to ensure accuracy.

Removal from Clinical Placement (PEP)

Students who demonstrate unsatisfactory progress towards the expected standard of practice for their enrolled Integrating Nursing Concepts unit at any point throughout their PEP will be commenced on an Individual Support Plan (ISP) with specific learning strategies and goals. If the strategies and goals are not met, students will receive an unsatisfactory Clinical Assessment, which will result in removal from Clinical Placement (PEP) and a fail grade (NC) for the unit. If the students conduct or practice constitutes a significant risk to public safety, as assessed by the clinical site, CLN, or CF a student's placement may be suspended or terminated immediately without an ISP in place. The student will meet with the Nursing Professional Practice Convenor and Discipline Lead (Nursing) and discuss their progress in the unit, and alternate arrangements may be made depending on the outcome of the meeting and any investigations or inquiries.

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