Course specification for NUR3499

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Course specification
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NUR3499 Transition to Professional Practice B

Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Ipswich
Short Description: Transition to Profesion Prac B
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Nursing and Midwifery
Student contribution band : National Priority - Nursing
ASCED code : 060301 - General Nursing
Grading basis : Pass/Not Pass

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: NUR2000 and NSC2500 and NUR2399 and in final Semester of study
Co-requisite: NUR3299

Other requisites

This course is not available for cross institutional study from other universities.

Rationale

As students enter the final year of their Bachelor of Nursing they need to become full partners in evidence based and skills competency in practice. Students need to learn how to reflect on their own learning and develop plans to progress to the level Benner identifies as a Novice Beginning Practitioner. Feedback from faculty, preceptors and peers and active engagement in the clinical practice setting will help students to transition from a student to a new graduate nurse who is ready for practice. Professional practice will be enhanced as students internalise the process of reflecting and goal setting, and embrace the notion of lifelong learning.

Synopsis

This is the final semester transitional practice course. Students are provided with opportunities to demonstrate the performance and responsibilities required for safe practice. NUR3499 allows students to develop their professional interactions, therapeutic relationships and nursing care practices associated with caring for individuals, families and significant others. Students develop critical thinking, clinical decision making and proficiency using the nursing process within an appropriate acute and or chronic care clinical setting. The aim is to develop skills introduced in prior simulated laboratories and clinical courses and to apply knowledge learnt from past or concurrent theoretical courses. Students will be required to be reflective about their clinical practice experiences for both their professional development and lifelong learning journey.

Objectives

On completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Conduct clinical practice which can be ethically justified and in accordance with legislation and common law
  2. Integrate and apply knowledge of the independent and collaborative role of nursing to nursing practice situations in accordance with NMBA standards.
  3. Demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills in practice in accordance with NMBA standards.
  4. Demonstrate awareness of an individual’s unique values, beliefs, customs and culture which provide the framework for that individual’s experience of health, illness, or death in accordance with ICN Code of ethics for nurses.
  5. Demonstrate competence in clinical practice and decision making as a novice through Registered Nurse supervision in accordance with the NMBA standards.
  6. Conduct family assessments and engages in therapeutic and professional practice using collaborative care assessment planning, intervention and evaluation including the inter-disciplines and intradisciplinary teams.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Identification and provision of evidenced based patient care 10.00
2. Identification and provision of patient education 10.00
3. Practice therapeutic communication strategies for use with patients and the inter professional health care team 10.00
4. Professional legal documentation standards 10.00
5. Practice patient safety, quality improvement and evidenced for practice 10.00
6. Proficient medication knowledge, skill and safety 10.00
7. Proficient with skill acquisition and with sound ability to make decisions 10.00
8. Practice within scope of practice as per NMBA requirements 10.00
9. Practice culturally sensitive care and recognise legal and ethical boundaries 10.00
10. Demonstration of professional attributes, life-long learning and leadership 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=NUR3499)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Berman. A, Snyder. S. J, Levett-Jones. T, Burton. P & Harvey. N (2017), Skills in clinical nursing, 8th edn, Pearson.
Brotto, V., & Rafferty, K (2019), Clinical dosage calculations for Australia and New Zealand, 3rd edn, Cengage.
Levett-Jones, T., & Bourgeois, S (2018), The clinical placement, 4th edn, Churchill Livingstone.
Tollefson, J (2019), Clinical psychomotor skills: Assessment tools for nursing students, 7th edn, Thomson Learning Australia Pty Ltd.

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.
Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) 2016, Professional Standards of Practice in Australia,
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Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) 2010, A nurses guide to professional boundaries, file:///C:/Users/X0010684/Downloads/Nursing-and-Midwifery-Board---Codes-and-Guidelines---Professional-boundaries-for-nurses---February-2010.PDF.
Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) 2017, Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, file:///C:/Users/X0010684/Downloads/5_New-Code-of-Ethics-for-Nurses-August-2008.PDF.
Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) 2018, Code of Conduct for Nurses in Australia, file:///C:/Users/X0010684/Downloads/Nursing-and-Midwifery-Board---Code---Advance-copy---Code-of-conduct-for-nurses---Effective-1-March-2018%20(1).PDF.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 5.00
Clinical Experience 160.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ANSAT Interim Clinical Report 1 25 19 Jun 2020 (see note 1)
ANSATClinical Performance Eval 1 25 19 Jun 2020 (see note 2)
Clinical Timesheet 1 25 19 Jun 2020 (see note 3)
Transition Reflection Project 1 25 19 Jun 2020 (see note 4)

Notes
  1. Interim Evaluation is to be signed by student and preceptor and submitted electronically within 2. Days after the student has completed 10 clinical shifts.
  2. Due 7 days after completion of student's allocated clinical placement.
  3. Due 7 days after completion of student's allocated clinical placement.
  4. To be advised by Course Examiner

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to: a) attend and participate in 100% of the clinical placement period (160) hours within the assigned weeks which have been allocated through the clinical placement allocation system. b) Attend all shifts as allocated/rostered at the beginning of the clinical placement by the preceptor or mentor (these may involve day shifts, evening shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts and public holidays). c) Changes to rostered shifts will only be considered for compelling compassionate circumstance (as outlined within USQ policy and procedures ) and require the student to follow the shift change process in collaboration with the health care facility and Professional Experience Placement Office. d) Attend and participate in all activities scheduled for them as part of this practicum either on campus or at the clinical venue including completion of preclinical mandatory requirements, orientation, briefing sessions, debriefing sessions, tutorials and in service. Be informed of course related activities and administration. e) Access and obtain all material provided to complete course objectives and activities.
    It is the students’ responsibility to maintain a standard of professional and clinical practice that meets the ethical and legal requirements of a nurse, risk management principles and common law.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To complete each assessment item, students must obtain 100% (a mark of 1) for the following assessments: ANSAT Interim Clinical Report, Clinical Timesheet, ANSAT Final Clinical Evaluation and Transition Project B. To complete ANSAT tools satisfactorily, students must obtain the signature of the preceptor/facilitator. To complete the Clinical Timesheet satisfactorily, students must complete attendance of 160 hours of professional placement in the allocated time and submit a completed timesheet with the signature of the preceptor/facilitator.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of a pass in this course, students are required to submit all assessment items and achieve the mark of 1 for ANSAT Interim Clinical Report, Clinical Timesheet, ANSAT Final Clinical Evaluation and ePortfolio Reflections. As P is the only passing grade available for this course, all students who are qualified for a passing grade will be given a grade of P. There is no supplementary clinical time offered for this course. Note that a conceded pass is not available in this course due to accreditation requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

  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 items for the course. Note that a conceded pass is not available in this course due to accreditation requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

  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. There is no supplementary clinical time. If unforeseen circumstances occur resulting in incomplete hours in relation to the placement, deferred clinical participation may be granted in accordance with the USQ Compelling and Compassionate Circumstances Policy or in the event of a facility closure or relocation at the discretion of placement availability and suitability with respect to course objectives. Other than when compelling and compassionate circumstances are evident, the objectives for clinical practice must be satisfactorily completed within the allocated time or a failed grade will result.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. There is no supplementary clinical time. If unforeseen circumstances occur resulting in incomplete hours in relation to the placement, deferred clinical participation may be granted in accordance with the USQ compelling and compassionate circumstances policy or in the event of a facility closure or relocation at the discretion of placement availability and suitability with respect to course objectives. Other than when compelling and compassionate circumstances are evident, the objectives for clinical practice must be satisfactorily completed within the allocated time or a failed grade will result.

  2. Students have signed to acknowledge understanding of, and a commitment to, abiding by the Professional Experience Placement Declaration Guide. The student directions outlined within this guide must be followed and complied by students. Failure to meet the student obligations as outlined within the USQ Clinical Placement Declaration guide, relating to professional conduct whilst on placement, may result in the termination of the clinical placement and a fail grade.

  3. American Psychological Association (APA) is the referencing system required in this course. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA referencing style to be used is defined by the USQ library’s referencing guide. These policies can be found at

Evaluation and benchmarking

In meeting the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement.
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Nursing and is benchmarked against the internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review.
3. forms part of the professional accreditation standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through an external accreditation process.

Other requirements

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

  2. Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.

  3. Students of clinical courses must submit the following mandatory documents to the Clinical Office by the date given for the INPLACE clinical placement allocations for the current semester's clinical placement or clinical practice will not be offered. These mandatory documents include:

    1. Blue Card (Renewed every 3 years) – Pre filled Application form is available on the BNUR2015 site on USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk.
    Complete the form online, then print off and bring the application and copies of your I.D. evidence to the Professional Experience Placements Office to be processed and submitted to Blue Card.

    2. Australian Federal Police Certificate - Name Check only – (Valid for three years). Please submit a copy.
    Form is available from the link below. NB: There is a payment to be sent with the application.


    3. Hepatitis B Immunisation (Submit once only) Please submit a copy. - Evidence of 3 injections or Immunity (Titre level).
    To complete the course of 3 injections, they must be started 6 months before placement.

    4. Measles, Mumps, Rubella & Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Immunisation. (Submit once only)
    Please submit a copy. - Evidence of Immunity or current Immunisation report within the last 10 years.
    • Preference to have annual influenza immunisation (Not Mandatory)
    • TB Testing / Mantoux testing (Not Mandatory but highly recommended)

    Flu Vaccination Yearly

    While it is not a compulsory requirement to undergo TB screening or influenza immunisation, it is highly recommended for your own safety. (Please see your Medical practitioner regarding any other immunisations that may be appropriate).

    5. CPR Certificate (Renewed Yearly) - Please submit a copy. Certificate must display the Nationally Recognised logo.

    6. Queensland Health Student Orientation Requirements (Submit once only)
    Read and print the Student Orientation Checklist and the Deed Poll (6 pages).
    Available on BNUR site on USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk or the QHealth website.


    7. QHealth-Occupational Health & Safety Certificates (4): (Submit copy once only) Complete the red asterix areas only.
    • Work Health and Safety Induction
    • First-Response Evacuation Instructions
    • Occupational Violence Prevention Fundamentals
    • Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD)
    Instructions are available on the BNUR site to complete the modules.

    8. Clinical Placement Student Declaration - Print Declaration page & Sign (Submit once only)
    The Declaration is the last page of the Clinical Placement, Student Procedures and Declaration Guide booklet on the BNUR Site on your USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk.
    If any of these documents are NOT current, you will NOT be allocated a placement on InPlace.
    Other: In some cases some facilities require Disability Services QLD Card

    Failure to adhere to submission of all required documentation by the due date will result in the student unable to attend a clinical placement and may result in a failed grade in the course

  4. Mandatory Reporting with AHPRA

    It is the student's responsibility to notify the course examiner if they have a health impairment, which may result in conditions being placed upon their student registration with AHPRA. Education providers, such as USQ are required by law to report certain notifiable conduct (see and students must be aware of their responsibilities under this legislation. Administrative action may occur if a student fails to notify the course examiner of an APHRA notification made in relation to their practice.

Date printed 19 June 2020