UWA Handbook 2024

Unit Overview

Description

Students develop skills in data collection and documentation that focuses on the principles of effective communication, interviewing and physical assessment techniques. Students are introduced to the theoretical basis of clinical decision making, and problem framing and solving using data collected during health assessment. The focus is on normal assessment findings to enable students to identify variations to these. Students are also introduced to basic nursing skills and interventions including oral medication administration. The theory topics include the nursing process; the role of health assessment in nursing practice; types and sources of assessment data; interviewing and history taking; physical assessment techniques; health assessment across the lifespan and an introduction to clinical decision making. The clinical skills laboratory topics include identifying potential workplace hazards, emergency protocols and fundamental nursing skills. In the clinical skills laboratory component of this unit, students develop skills relating to a comprehensive patient physical and health assessment, infection control, and basic nursing interventions.

Credit

6 points

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) identify and utilise strategies that facilitate a therapeutic nurse–patient relationship; (2) identify and develop professional communication skills within the context of professional interactions; (3) describe and demonstrate the skills to conduct a comprehensive nursing assessment; (4) integrate health assessment into self-care activities and selected nursing interventions; (5) demonstrate accurate written health assessment data using appropriate terminology; (6) apply clinical decision making to meet the health needs of adult patients; (7) demonstrate fundamental nursing skills; and (8) demonstrate basic medication calculation and administration of oral medications.

Assessment

This comprises an assignment (60 per cent) and an in-class test (40 per cent). Barrier assessments include Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (pass/fail) and medication calculation test (must achieve 100 per cent).

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit rules

Prerequisites

PHCY5801 Pharmacotherapy for Nurses
and NURS5815 Pathophysiology for Nurses

Co-requisites

NURS5821 Nursing Practice 1

Contact hours

lectures: 26 hrs
clinical skill labs: 42 hrs

Texts

Jarvis, C., Forbes, H., and Watt, E. Jarvis's Physical Examination and Health assessment, ANZ edn: Elsevier 2012

Tollefson, J. Clinical Psychomotor Skills: Assessment Tools for Nursing Students, 5th edn: Cengage Learning Australia 2012

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

and 

Berman, A. et al. Kozier & Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing, 2nd edn: Pearson 2012

or

Crisp, J., and Taylor, C., eds. Potter and Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing, 5th edn: Elsevier Australia 2012