Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

The nurse practitioner role entails advanced or extended nursing practice that features both autonomous and collaborative elements. Context-driven pharmacological and other advanced therapeutics, based on a comprehensive health assessment and accurate diagnosis, are central to nurse practitioner practice. Hence nurse practitioner roles might include, but are not limited to, prescribing drugs from a defined formulary; high-level technical procedures; requesting or performing diagnostic investigations; patient education and counselling; and direct referral to other health professionals. The aim of such activities is to deliver and evaluate a complete episode of care to clients in a specialty area that conforms to regulatory requirements and that is ethical, culturally-sensitive, context-driven, evidence-based and responsive to person.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to develop the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to prescribe, administer and evaluate the advanced therapeutics relevant to your specialty area that enable the delivery of a complete episode of client care.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will be able to make judicious use of advanced therapeutics (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological) in a specialty field of nursing. You will therefore:

1. Develop therapeutic procedures and protocols that




1. Are evidence-based;


2. Delineate the practice scope of the nurse practitioner with consideration of the regulatory, ethical and probity issues related to advanced therapeutics;


3. Articulate the principles and practice of quality use of medicines and other advanced therapeutics that ensure nurse and patient safety;


4. Operate from a person-centred, holistic model of nursing that recognises and respects cultural identity and lifestyle choices;


5. Incorporate patient education and counselling;


6. Draw upon the expertise of the multidisciplinary team and indicate parameters for referral or escalation to other health professionals;


7. Incorporate information technology where relevant;




2. Demonstrate the knowledge and creativity necessary to select therapeutic interventions relevant to your specialty area and patient group that conform to contextual and organisational imperatives; and



3. Demonstrate life-long learning ability that can be drawn upon to maintain advanced therapeutic knowledge.

Content

The content of this unit encompasses the high-level knowledge and skills necessary to plan, manage and evaluate nurse practitioner interventions.

Content focuses upon the principles and practice of advanced therapeutics in extended speciality nursing practice and the development of rigorous policies, procedures and protocols relevant to your context of practice. Content includes:

1. Regulatory and organisational issues that determine the nurse practitioner's scope of practice and specific roles and responsibilities in relation to pharmacological and other advanced therapeutic nursing interventions;



2. The four components of prescribing (Coombes 2010): information gathering; clinical decision-making, communicating the decision as an instruction, and monitoring and review;



3. Medication safety, quality use of medicines and drug-drug interactions; and



4. The development of therapeutic protocols, policies and procedures that:




1. Are based on the best evidence,


2. Account for the actual and potential clinical, psychosocial and cultural considerations of your specific client population,


3. Comprehensively describe and provide a rationale for the assessment, diagnosis and referral of clients,


4. Incorporate procedures for the effective implementation and monitoring of interventions;


5. Incorporate patient education and counselling,


6. Describe, where relevant, procedures for the use of information technology within the protocol, and


7. Include processes for approval, endorsement and renewal.



Successful completion of this unit contributes to attainment of the following course values, ANMC Nurse Practitioner Standards, QUT Capabilities and Australian Learning and Teaching Council expectations:


5. Course Values:




1. Safe, competent advanced practitioners who strive towards excellence in the delivery of holistic, evidence-based nursing care for all people in the settings in which they practise;


2. Inquiring practitioners who value intellectual curiosity, the active pursuit of new knowledge and its incorporation within the provision of high quality nursing care;


3. Caring practitioners who are sensitive to the human condition and individualise their care accordingly; and


4. Collaborative practitioners who work with clients, families and colleagues in the pursuit of optimal health and well-being.




6. ANMC Competency Standard:




1. Dynamic practice that incorporates the application of high-level knowledge and skills in extended practice across stable, unpredictable and complex situations;


2. Professional efficacy whereby practice is structured in a nursing model and enhanced by autonomy and accountability; and


3. Clinical leadership that influences and progresses clinical care, policy and collaboration through all levels of health service.




7. QUT Graduate Capabilities:




1. Knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular professional area;


2. Critical, creative and analytical thinking and effective problem-solving;


3. Effective communication in a variety of contexts and modes including written and oral communication;


4. Capacity for life-long learning, including searching for and critically evaluating information from a variety of sources;


5. Ability to work independently and collaboratively; and


6. Social and ethical responsibility and an understanding of Indigenous and international perspectives.




8. Australian Learning and Teaching Council Threshold Learning Outcomes for Health Graduates:




1. Demonstrate professional behaviours;


2. Assess individual health status, and where necessary, formulate, implement and monitor management plans in consultation with clients;


3. Promote and optimise the health and welfare of individuals;


4. Retrieve, critically evaluate and apply evidence in the performance of health-related activities;


5. Deliver safe and effective collaborative care; and


6. Reflect on current skills, knowledge and attitudes and plan for ongoing personal and professional development.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit is delivered in flexible mode, with all teaching and learning activities open to both internal and external students. You will receive a comprehensive online study guide and a list of suitable readings and text books. The study guide will provide a framework for learning activities and encourage critical analysis through a structured program of learning.

A range of approaches to teaching and learning is used to promote knowledge and skills in advanced therapeutics. You will be encouraged to think critically about the key therapeutic needs and problems experienced by individuals in your specialty through analysis of evidence and case studies and through contribution to class discussions. These activities will be embedded in:

• A formal seminar series. For students who cannot attend in person, an audio recording and a PowerPoint file of the seminars will be available online


• An online teaching page, which will provide access to web-based resources, all unit content, a communication forum for students and staff to discuss unit content, and a frequently-asked questions area


• Group and individual teleconferences to discuss unit content


• Residential school for face-to-face intensives


• Assessment items

Assessment

There are three assessment items in this unit.Assessment will be spaced throughout the semester to provide the opportunity for feedback on your learning at key points. You will be provided with feedback on each assessment item as you progress through the unit. A structured approach to assessment and marking will be applied to provide you with detailed feedback on your progress.

Assessment name: Online Multiple Choice Test
Description: On-line multiple choice test of content covered to the assessment date.
Weighting: 0% (formative)
Relates to objectives: 1-3.
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Protocol
Description: Drug Protocol (3000 words)
A pharmacological treatment plan, incorporating evidence review and procedures for the assessment, diagnosis, pharmacological management, education and evaluation of a selected patient or problem encountered in a discrete area of specialty advanced or extended nursing practice.
Relates to objectives: 1-3.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid semester

Assessment name: Protocol
Description: Nurse Practitioner Non-Pharmacological Therapeutic Protocol (3000 words)
A procedural treatment plan, incorporating evidence review and procedures for the assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic management, education and evaluation of a selected patient or problem encountered in a discrete area of specialty advanced or extended nursing practice.
Relates to objectives: 1-3.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Queensland Health (2013). Nurse practitioner implementation guide. Office of the Chief Nursing Officer, Brisbane, Queensland.

Queensland Health (2011). Information sheet: Drug therapy protocol for nurse practitioners. Available at http://www.health.gov.au/ocno/nurseprac/dtp.asp

Department of Health and Ageing (2008). The national medicines policy document. DoHA, Canberra. Available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/nmp-objectives-policy.htm

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with undertaking this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 23-Nov-2012