Unit Outline

In this unit, you will learn and apply the foundational principles of perianaesthesia nursing across surgical operating theatres, procedural areas, and the post-anaesthetic care unit. Emphasis will be placed on comprehensive patient assessment and patient management that underpin the professional practice of the anaesthetic and post anaesthetic care unit nurse.

You will also develop skills in recognising and managing common perianaesthetic emergencies and adverse events. You will use evidence-based literature to guide your practice and enhance your clinical decisions when prioritising care needs.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Apply advanced knowledge and skills in perianaesthesia nursing, integrating professional standards, guidelines, and evidence-based research to ensure best practice.
2.	Justify appropriate clinical decisions in practice procedures and prioritising patient care needs to optimise patient care.
3.	Critically reflect on and propose recommendations for improvement in patient care and management practices in perianaesthesia nursing.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit has been completely redeveloped by clinical experts in consultation with educational designers, including revision of intended learning outcomes, unit description, redesign of assessment tasks and redevelopment of learning content.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Case Study	Week 4	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Case Study	Week 9	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Presentation (Individual)	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Case Study

Task Description:

You will be provided with a scenario that you will need to analyse and interpret according to various professional standards and guidelines. You will need to outline and justify the scope of practice, limitations and skill similarity.

Task Length:

1000 words

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify the relevant standards and guidelines that apply to the given situation.	LO1
2	Apply knowledge of standards and guidelines to assign roles and responsibilities.	LO1
3	Evaluate potential risks in the scenario based on knowledge of standards and guidelines.	LO1
4	Make recommendations to improve the implementation of relevant standards and guidelines at the workplace.	LO3
5	Summarise and communicate relevant sections from the standards and guidelines to support your position.	LO2

Assessment Task 2: Case Study

Task Description:

You will be provided with a patient case study to review in relation to the best available evidence.

Task Length:

1400 words

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Complete an anaesthetic assessment of the patient to identify any potential issues or medical conditions that should be considered.	LO1
2	Make recommendations on which anaesthetic to use and which equipment will be needed and clearly articulate why.	LO3
3	Outline what the patient will need in terms of intraoperative management based on their pre-surgical assessment.	LO1
4	Make recommendations for the PACU management of the patient after surgery, including potential interventions.	LO3
5	Clearly articulate the patient’s pre- and post-surgery needs to other healthcare professionals.	LO2

Assessment Task 3: Presentation (Individual)

Task Description:

You will present a response to a provided Deterioration Management (emergency) situation.

Task Length:

10 minutes (equivalent to 1600 words).

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify the nature of the emergency and identify potential warning signs that signify an emergency may occur.	LO1
2	Apply knowledge of perianaesthesia nursing to recommend a response to the emergency, referring to appropriate guidelines or algorithms and the best available evidence.	LO1
3	Use critical judgment to make specific drug choice and equipment (if applicable) to use in response to the emergency.	LO2
4	Critically reflect on clinical judgements made and justify their selection with reference to the best available evidence.	LO3
5	Recommend a patient management plan and communicate why this management plan was selected.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.