Learning for Professional Practice 6 (9062.2)

Required texts

Recommended texts:

• Jarvis, C. (2016) Physical Examination and Health Assessment: Australian and New Zealand edition. (2nd ed) Chatswood NSW: Elsevier Australia. Library call number: RT76.J371 2016 available on short loan.

• Students are required to complete an on campus supervised computer based medication quiz using the Med+Safe program during week 3 of the semester. The Med+Safe program must be purchased from http://www.medsafe.com.au. Practice tests will be available as soon as the required software is purchased.

Students are expected to draw on the theory covered in past and present Bachelor of Nursing units in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in their knowledge and seek further resources and theory to meet their learning needs.

Readings will be available on the Canvas site or via the library site. In addition, the following Standards and Codes are prescribed reading and are available at

http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines.aspx#competencystandards or on Canvas.

•           National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse

•           Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia

•           Code of Professional conduct for Nurses in Australia.

Additionally, it is expected that students will read the following UC documents, available via the Bachelor of Nursing ClinicaL Placement Information Canvas site:

University of Canberra  Bachelor of Nursing Clinical Placement Resource Manual for Students & Facilitators. Unpublished.

LPP6 Clinical Placement Assessment Booklet 

University of Canberra WIL guidelines 

University of Canberra WIL guidelines for Health 

Additional recommended texts to support learning in this unit:

Brotto, V. & Rafferty, K. (2012) Clinical Dosage Calculations for Australia and New Zealand. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Crisp, J., Taylor, C., Douglas, C., & Rebeiro, G. (Eds). (2013). Potter and Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing (4th ed). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Library call number: RT41.P68 2013 available on short loan.

OR

Crisp, J., Douglas, C., Rebeiro, G., & Waters, D. (Eds). (2017). Potter and Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing (5th ed). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Library call number:  
RT41.P68 2017 available on short loan.

McKenna, L. & Mirkov, S. (2014).  McKenna's Drug Handbook for Nursing and Midwifery (7th ANZ ed.). Sydney, Australia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Wolters Kluwer Health.

Brown, D., Edwards, H., Lewis, S.L., Ruff Dirksen, S., Heitkemper, M.M. et al (2012) Lewis's medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems. (3rd Ed). Mosby/Elsevier. Sydney

Lemone, P. & Burke, K. (2011). Medical-Surgical nursing: critical thinking in client care (1st ed.). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia. Library call number: RT41.M492 2004 available on short loan.

Levett-Jones, T. (Ed) (2013) Clinical reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Library call number: RT51.C64 2013 available on short loan.

Perrin, R. (2012) Pocket guide to APA Style 5e. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Library call number: BF76.7.P47 2012 available on short loan.

Other websites that may be of interest include:

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/

Australian Patient Safety Foundation: http://www.apsf.net.au/

Clinical Excellence Commission: http://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/

Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health Care: http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Safety and quality of health care: http://www.aihw.gov.au/safequalityhealth/index.cfm

National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission Report – A Healthier Future for all Australians: http://www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/NHHRC

Health Workforce Australia: http://www.hwa.gov.au/internet/hwa/publishing.nsf

International Council of Nurses: http://www.icn.ch/

Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency: http://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

All assessment items will be submitted online via the unit Canvas site.  The first page of each assessment submission should include the following information:

Formatting:

Font size 12 Time New Roman or Arial 

Line spacing 1.5 or double 

Referencing: APA 6th Ed. 

Guidelines for a written paper:

1.       Confidentiality:  Always protect the confidentiality of information gained from Clinical Placements that is included in assessment tasks by using pseudonyms for the names of patients and organisations, developing a ‘composite' profile based on more than one patient, de-identifying demographics, including ‘in-confidence' in the footer of academic work with sensitive information, and avoiding naming other students. 

2.       Presentation: The paper should be word-processed, with double line spacing on a single side of A4 paper.  Each A4 page should have a 2.5 cm margin on all sides. Pages should be numbered. 

3.       Structure: Academic writing style must be maintained throughout the paper.  The paper must have an introduction, body (which presents the issues and discusses/analyses them), a conclusion, a reference list and an appendix (if necessary) at the end.  There are many texts available about organising and presenting papers in the library and bookshop. 

4.       Clarity and Expression: Concepts should be analysed and discussed without unnecessary verbiage.  The paper must demonstrate correct grammatical expression and spelling.  Poor grammar obscures meaning in your discussion.  It is very useful to ask someone else to proof read your paper to eliminate errors.

5.       Use of resources: you are expected to read widely and use a variety of credible evidence to support your discussion.  Your work must be supported by current published literature and fully referenced.  Resources must not be limited to texts only.  It is an expectation that you use database searches to obtain recent journal articles. 

6.       Referencing requirements: Please refer to the Academic Skills Program website for information on acknowledging sources in academic writing. The following link provides an outline of acceptable referencing practices:

http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/attachments/pdf/apa.pdf

Moderation Information for Students 2018

Moderation of assessment involves academic peer review of set assessment items within units. Clinical assessments may undergo the process of moderation whereby assessments in the clinical and simulation context may result in a fail grade for the unit. These moderations may include academic review, clinical liaison consultation,  team-based moderation or collaboration regarding assessment performance.

References

2015 University Assessment Policy and Procedures. Moderation, Page (5).  https://guard.canberra.edu.au/policy/policy.php?pol_id=3351

Special assessment requirements

In order to pass the unit, students are required to:

• Attempt all assessment items;
• Achieve an overall grade satisfactory on all assessment items;
• Achieve a pass level on the Clinical Assessment and meet the attendance requirement of 35 days.

Supplementary assessment

A supplementary assessment will only be offered to students who have failed the theoretical component of this unit in their final semester with a mark between 45-49% where the unit is required for course completion.

If a student has two or less Bondy Ratings rated at a level 3 they are considered borderline, they will be considered unsatisfactory in their clinical component of the unit, which constitutes a fail.

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.

Extension Procedure 2017

Grounds for applying for an extension

The onus rests on students to comply with timelines for completing and submitting assessments, and this is part of the good management and performance skills we are seeking to develop in students through the educational process. Lecturers also have a responsibility to ensure equity and fairness to the majority of students who submit their assessments on time.

 For these reasons, you need to establish genuine circumstances for an extension to be granted. You will need to supply documentary evidence to establish the genuine nature of your circumstances.

 Please note: Extensions of more than 7 days will not generally be granted unless there are extenuating circumstances. See * below.

Process for applying for an extension:

 Requests for extensions should be on the attached Assignment Extension Application form and submitted at least 2 days prior to the submission date.

1.                Requests for an extension of up to 4 days should be sent directly to your assigned tutor

2.                Requests for an extension of more than 4 days should be sent directly to the Unit Convenor for consideration.

Processing of extension applications will normally take between 24-48 hours. Approved applications will be uploaded to the unit Canvas site and students will be notified by return email with their updated submission time and date deadline.

References

• University of Canberra Assignment Extension Application Policy Form.
• Discipline of Nursing Extension Application Form (2015).

*Students who are registered with Inclusion & Welfare:

https://www.canberra.edu.au/myuc-s/business-units/dvce/student-engagement/accessability-for-uc-staff

Students registered with Inclusion & Welfare who are seeking an assignment extension up to 7 days, inclusive of weekends and public holidays, should apply in accordance with the procedures documented in the relevant Unit Outline.

The student is required to inform the Unit Convenor, or approved delegate, they are registered with Inclusion & Welfare, and attach their Reasonable Adjustment Plan to the extension request. No additional documentary evidence is required for extensions up to 7 days for students registered with Inclusion & Welfare for assignment extensions as medical documentation is managed through Inclusion & Welfare.

The Unit Convenor, or approved delegate, will inform the student the outcome of their request as per Faculty procedures. Where the Unit Convenor, or approved delegate, does not approve the assignment extension request, the student may seek consultation with Inclusion & Welfare. If considered appropriate, Inclusion & Welfare will liaise with the relevant Academic staff member, following consultation with the student.

Students are advised to liaise directly with their Unit Convenor, or approved delegate, although there may be circumstances where Inclusion & Welfare will liaise on behalf of the student.

Inclusion and Welfare Assignment Extension Requests Beyond 7 Days

For requests beyond 7 days, Unit Convenors should expect to receive a Letter of Recommendation from the student with their request for the extension.

Students registered with Inclusion & Welfare who require an assignment extension beyond 7 days are required to schedule an appointment with Inclusion & Welfare prior to the submission date. During the consultation, the Inclusion Advisor will review the request for extension in consultation with the student. Students are required to provide additional medical documentation to support an extension request beyond 7 days.

If Inclusion & Welfare supports the request, the student will be provided with a Letter of Recommendation with a requested alternate submission date.

Learner engagement

The amount of time you will need to spend on study in this unit will depend on a number of factors including your prior knowledge, learning skill level and learning style. Nevertheless, in planning your time commitments you should note that for a 3cp unit the total notional workload over the semester or term is assumed to be 150 hours. These hours include time spent in classes. The total workload for units of different credit point value should vary proportionally. For example, for a 6cp unit the total notional workload over a semester or term is assumed to be 300 hours.

This unit provides the clinical experiences required for graduates to meet the NMBA Competency Standards and the requirements for registration as a nurse with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board. Attendance at scheduled clinical placements and on-campus workshops is required to pass the unit.

The workload during the clinical placement period is significant. Students should not schedule paid work on scheduled clinical days. 

Participation requirements

In order for UC graduates to be eligible for registration as a nurse in Australia, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) has accredited the Bachelor of Nursing course. The accreditation requirements include compulsory attendance on clinical placement for the required number of hours (880 hours) over the course. Therefore, attendance is compulsory for clinical placements.

Clinical placement requirements

Students are required to attend the placement for the duration of the rostered shift. There is a range of important learning opportunities available throughout the shift and students are expected to avail themselves of these opportunities. Permission to leave early will only be supported on medical grounds. Once allocated to a clinical placement, students are expected to be available to attend that placement, in the allocated roster pattern. Clinical placement attendance on the rostered shifts is a requirement in the Learning for Professional Practice units.

Documentation is required to be submitted to support absence from clinical placment. 

Absence

Students should not attend placement or workshops when they are unwell. The process for notification of clinical absence is found on the BN Clinical Placements Information page at: http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=8829 

All notified absences will require make-up time. Make up time may not be provided in the original placement site. An additional orientation day may be required when make-up time is provided in a new setting.

Required IT skills

The Placement Office team coordinates placements, and information about placements using the InPlace information management system. All students will have access to InPlace once enrolled in the semester. Please note that correspondence about clinical placements, generated by the InPlace system, will be directed to students' university email address.  Students are expected to check their university email accounts at least weekly.

Information on how to use the InPlace system is available on the Placement Office Canvas site: http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=6714
 

Work placement, internships or practicums

Transportation to and from clinical placement is a student responsibility. Students are expected to arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled shift start time. Consistently arriving late is considered to be unprofessional conduct.

Students are required to meet the costs associated with clinical placements, including accommodation costs placements outside Canberra. Scholarships to support students on placement are available from the Australian College of Nursing: http://rcna.org.au/wcm/.
 

Pre-clinical placement requirements for students in 2018 include:

• National Criminal Record Check (AFP)
• Immunisations up to date
• Tuberculosis screening

These documents need to be presented to the Placement Office staff for sighting as completed. A University of Canberra identification card for clinical placement will be provided once these requirements are met. 
 

From January 2013 all commencing students will need to have their documents assessed as compliant by NSW health personnel before undertaking a NSW Health placement. To do this, students are required to complete NSW Health specific documentation. Please visit the Placement Office Moodle site for further information on the process for NSW Health compliance: http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=6714

NSW Health compliance is very important. Students allocated to NSW Health who do not undertake the compliance requirements will not be provided with an alternative placement and will be advised to withdraw from the Learning for Professional Practice unit.

The Placement Office will contact students who are currently not compliant with the NSW Health requirements. Please contact the Placement Office with specific compliance questions.

• Semester 2, 2018, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (180318)
• Semester 1, 2018, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (180004)