Unit Outline
CNA423
Introduction to Quality Health Services
Semester 1, 2025
Carl Fiedler
School of Nursing
College of Health and Medicine
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Carl Fiedler
Email: Carl.Fiedler@utas.edu.au
 

What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
Students completing this unit will have acquired knowledge of existing health service models, the internal and external factors that influence the delivery of quality services, and the best-practice models for quality service design.
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
Identify and discuss a range of pressures necessitating health service quality improvement, including political, economic, social and technological factors.
2
Identify and critically assess relevant evidence to communicate improvement opportunities to health services practitioners and other audiences.
3
Integrate and apply theoretical frameworks to support comprehensive assessments of factors likely to support or hinder service quality improvement in a wide range of health services settings.
Alterations as a result of student feedback
This unit was reviewed and unit content and assessment tasks were redeveloped in response to student feedback and external reviewers. 
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
Online
Individual Study
Individual self-directed learning - 10 hours per week.
10
StudyPeriod 13 times
Online Class
Online webinar - 3 x 1 hour.
1
Study Period 3 times
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
 
 
 

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:
Online Quiz
Week 5
10 %
LO1
Assessment Task 2:
Online Discussion
Week 9
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Presentation on Quality Safety in Healthcare
Week 13
50 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Online Quiz
Task Description:
This assessment task is an online quiz on the material covered in the first four weeks.
This quiz will include Multiple choice questions and short answer questions. You must answer the short answer questions in your own words.
Please ensure you allocate one uninterrupted hour to complete the quiz.
Task Length:
20 Multiple Choice Questions and 4 short answer questions to be completed in an hour.
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
10 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify pressures necessitating health service quality improvement, including political, economic, social and technological factors.
LO1
 
Assessment Task 2: Online Discussion
Task Description:
This assessment task provides opportunity for you to identify and critically assess relevant evidence in relation to quality improvement opportunities in your health service and communicate this with your peers.
Task Length:
Total of 1500 words
Due Date:
Week 9
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Discuss pressures necessitating health service quality improvement.
LO1
2
Assess relevant evidence in relation to quality improvement opportunities in your health service using the literature and own experience.
LO2, LO3
3
Critique view of your peers in relation to their assessment of improvement opportunities and compare to yours.
LO2, LO3
4
Communicate clearly in an appropriate academic style using current APA style.
LO1, LO2, LO3
 

 
Assessment Task 3: Presentation on Quality Safety in Healthcare
Task Description:
This assessment task provides an opportunity to develop analytical skills regarding the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards and cultivate the ability to critically analyse and define healthcare quality and safety problems.
Task Length:
Equivalent to 2000 words
Due Date:
Week 13
Weight:
50 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify performance information and compare this to the desired level of performance in the NSQHC Service Standards.
LO1, LO2, LO3
2
Discuss quality and safety in the workplace and its relevance to improving the quality of care.
LO1, LO2, LO3
3
Analyse issues of leadership, potential barriers and strategies to overcome.
LO1, LO2, LO3
4
Reflect on the implementation of the improvement project examining how it was managed using relevant literature to support observations and arguments.
LO1, LO2, LO3
5
Argue a comprehensive range of alternative techniques that could have been used in the project implementation process.
LO2
6
Communicate clearly in an appropriate academic format throughout the report using current APA style. Utilise correct English conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation.
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes and achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater. 
Academic progress review
The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.
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.
 
 
 

Required Resources
Required reading materials
Berwick, D. M. (2014)Promising Care: How We Can Rescue Health Care by Improving It. Jossey-Bass (Wiley).
 
Recommended reading materials
Recommended Readings will be provided by your Unit Coordinator via the Reading List link in MyLO, or the unit Reading List on the University Library website.
 
Other required resources