Unit Outline

The focus of Complex Care is on recognition of acute deterioration, urgency of care, patient management and pharmacology for patients with complex and acute diagnoses. Complex Care synthesises your knowledge of disease states to acute deterioration and examines the implications of deterioration to body systems and patient outcomes across the lifespan. You will apply clinical reasoning skills and are required to recognise, interpret, analyse and record data relevant to the acutely deteriorating patient, in accordance with the NSQHS Standards. You will use current research to identify evidence-informed nursing interventions and person-centred care.

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	Implement clinical reasoning and comprehensive patient assessment to recognise, respond, communicate and advocate in instances of patient deterioration as part of a multidisciplinary team.
2	Apply the framework of clinical reasoning and person-centred care in the recognition of urgency of care.
3	Determine the indication and quality of use of medications in the context of acute patient states.
4	Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between pathophysiology of disease and indication for specific interventions.
5	Evaluate the role of the NMBA Registered Nurse standards for Practice and the NSQHS Medication Safety Standard in the context of caring for acute and complex patients.
6	Communicate relevant data in a clear and concise manner to ensure quality person-centred outcomes.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA144 Pathophysiology for Health Care or CXA240 Pathophysiology for Health Care 1

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Unit content updated, assessments amended and resources refined as a result of student feedback.

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:	Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) - Nursing Care Plan	Week 2	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO4, LO6
Assessment Task 2:	Video Reflection - Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)	Week 7	25 %	LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6
Assessment Task 3:	Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA)	Week 13	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO6

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) - Nursing Care Plan

Task Description:

You will be presented with a patient scenario during your first on-campus class. You are required to complete a CRC Nursing Plan based upon this scenario. This assessment task has 3 components. It is required to be completed and submitted during your scheduled classes.

Due weeks: Weeks 2 & 4 OR Weeks 8 & 10
as determined by student Professional Experience Placement.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 2

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply clinical reasoning to the context of patient deterioration in simulated scenarios.	LO1, LO2
2	Analyse pharmacological management in relation to disease pathophysiology.	LO2, LO4
3	Write in a structured, succinct and well-informed manner substantiating work with scholarly sources and accurate referencing.	LO6

Assessment Task 2: Video Reflection - Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Task Description:

This assessment task requires the utilisation of Driscoll’s Model of Reflection, and integration of both the NMBA Standards for Practice and NSQHS Medication Safety Standard, in the writing of a reflective piece regarding a patient’s experience with DKA.

Due weeks: Week 3 OR Week 9 as determined by student Professional Experience Placement.

Task Length:

800 words

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Ability to express depth and insight concerning reflective practice.	LO3, LO5
2	Apply evidence-informed strategies for practice development and positive patient outcome promotion.	LO2, LO4
3	Write in a structured, succinct and well-informed manner substantiating work with scholarly sources and accurate referencing.	LO6

Assessment Task 3: Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA)

Task Description:

You will be required to demonstrate indicated, evidenced-informed interventions for a patient experiencing acute deterioration, under direct observation.

Task Length:

35 minutes

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate an assessment and indicated interventions.	LO1, LO2
2	Recognise, and respond to patient deterioration.	LO2, LO3, LO6
3	Explain and rationalise interventions based on cues collected, physiological reasoning, and evidence informed practice including pharmacology.	LO1, LO4

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.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Amerman, EC. (2019). Human Anatomy & Physiology (2nd Global Edition), Pearson Education.

Tiziani, A. (ed). (2022). Harvard's Nursing Guide to Drugs (11th ed). Elsevier.

LeMone, P., Bauldoff, G., Gubrud-Howe, P., Carno, M.-A., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T., Moxham, L., Reid-Searl, K., Berry, K., & Carville, K. (2023). LeMone and Burke’s Medical-Surgical Nursing. (5th ed.). Pearson Education Australia.

Bullock, S., & Manias, E. (2022). Fundamentals of Pharmacology (9th ed). Pearson.