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Unit Overview

Description

This unit will explore the diverse needs of the dying patient across the lifespan to assist students in the development of necessary knowledge and skills to provide a person-centred approach to care at the end of life. This unit will explore various contexts of end-of-life care including advanced health directives and planning, palliative care, voluntary assisted dying, the active dying phase, expected and unexpected death. Compassionate, culturally safe care of the patient, family, colleagues and self will also be explored. Students will examine models of end of life and palliative care, as practiced in a range of environments. Students will also develop an understanding of the services and interprofessional approaches that optimise quality of life throughout the dying process, whether imminent or prolonged.

Credit
6 points
Offering
AvailabilityLocationModeFirst year of offer
Not available in 2025OnlineOnline
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate capability to engage in self-reflection and lifelong learning through a spirit of inquiry and an ongoing commitment to ensuring capability for practice in self and others; (2) apply discipline knowledge and practice in the care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and other culturally and linguistically diverse individuals and groups across the lifespan, within various metropolitan and regional health care contexts; (3) appraise professional, regulatory, social, global and environmental aspects of health care and the impact of these on the role and responsibilities of the nurse; (4) initiate, maintain and conclude effective, professional and collaborative therapeutic relationships with patients/clients, families and communities; (5) demonstrate inclusive, evidenced-based, person-centred, culturally safe care across the health-illness continuum, within various metropolitan and regional health care contexts; (6) demonstrate digital capabilities and the implementation of digital health technologies in the delivery of effective health care; (7) contribute discipline knowledge to effectively collaborate within interprofessional healthcare teams; and (8) apply robust research skills to generate and analyse evidence to make informed decisions to support safe and quality health care.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) e-portfolio assessment tasks

and (2) end of semester viva. Further information is available in the unit outline.



This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.

Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit.

Unit Coordinator(s)
Associate Professor Fiona Foxall
Unit rules
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
BH028 Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)
and Successful completion of
Unit(s) NURS2005 Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care
Contact hours
Participation in online tutorial and associated activities 2 hours x 15 weeks = 30 hours
Texts

Kozier and Erb Fundamentals of Nursing 5E  (Pearson E Book)

  • The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
  • All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
  • Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
  • Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.