Unit Outline

This unit prepares you to contribute to and advance sustainability in nursing practice across diverse healthcare settings. You will explore sustainability in three key domains - environmental, social & cultural, and economic & workforce - and apply systems thinking to real-world nursing challenges. Through case studies, critical analysis, and practical problem-solving, students examine how everyday nursing decisions influence long-term system resilience, equity, quality of care, and workforce wellbeing across diverse settings.

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	Describe and apply principles of environmental, social, cultural, economic and workforce sustainability in nursing practice.
2	Critically evaluate clinical scenarios for sustainability challenges using structured audit tools and relevant standards.
3	Design and justify evidence-informed, nursing-led innovations that address sustainability issues in healthcare
4	Apply systems thinking to explain interconnections between sustainability domains, nursing practice, and healthcare outcomes.
5	Communicate sustainability strategies clearly and persuasively in professional nursing formats, including written, oral, and visual outputs.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	NUR244 Concepts of Nursing 2: Ethics and Research

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit has undergone significant redevelopment in response to student feedback, contemporary healthcare priorities, and curriculum review processes. Changes include a clearer assessment scaffold, greater integration of sustainability and systems thinking concepts, increased use of authentic assessment tasks, enhanced alignment between learning activities and assessments, and the inclusion of simulation-based learning experiences designed to strengthen application of theory to practice. Assessment instructions, rubrics, and supporting resources have also been revised to improve clarity and student guidance.

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:	Quiz	Week 2	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Clinical Audit Review	Week 4	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Innovation Pitch	Week 6	45 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Quiz

Task Description:

This in-class MCQ quiz assesses your understanding of foundational sustainability concepts introduced within the unit, with a particular focus on planetary health, environmental sustainability, and sustainable nursing practice.

Task Length:

20 MCQ in 40 minutes

Due Date:

Week 2

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates understanding of key sustainability concepts and terminology, with a particular focus on planetary health and environmental sustainability.	LO1
2	Accurately identifies sustainability issues presented in short scenarios or examples (e.g. waste, inappropriate PPE use, inequitable practices).	LO2
3	Applies sustainability principles to select appropriate actions or responses in practice-based questions.	LO1, LO2
4	Demonstrates understanding of nursing actions that can influence broader outcomes, including resource use, equity, safety, and system sustainability.	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Clinical Audit Review

Task Description:

In this task you will critically evaluate clinical practice through a sustainability lens using a structured audit approach. You will select and analyse a short, simulated scenario which represents common challenges faced by graduate nurses and apply a customised audit tool aligned with NSQHS Standards, and propose evidence-informed improvements.

You will then prepare a structured audit summary report analysing key sustainability and systems-related issues, broader healthcare impacts, and broad evidence-informed improvement directions relevant to sustainable nursing practice.

Task Length:

Audit checklist and 1000 words report.

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Completes the customised audit tool effectively and identifies relevant sustainability, systems, communication, workflow, and/or patient safety issues within the selected scenario.	LO2, LO4
2	Critically analyses key sustainability and systems-related issues using relevant sustainability domains, systems thinking, and professional standards (e.g. NSQHS). Demonstrates understanding of broader impacts on patients, staff, healthcare systems,	LO1, LO2, LO4
3	Briefly explores broad and realistic evidence-informed improvement directions relevant to sustainable healthcare practice and clinical improvement. Demonstrates awareness of healthcare context, feasibility, and graduate nurse practice.	LO1, LO3, LO4
4	Communicates ideas clearly and professionally using structured academic writing, appropriate evidence integration, and APA 7 referencing.	LO5

Assessment Task 3: Innovation Pitch

Task Description:

In this task you will select one sustainability or systems-related issue identified during Assessment Task 2 and develop an innovative, feasible solution that a graduate nurse could realistically support or lead in clinical practice. You will then communicate this innovation through a visually engaging poster and a persuasive oral pitch.

Task Length:

Digital poster and 5-6-minute presentation.

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Clearly explains the identified sustainability or systems-related issue and demonstrates understanding of broader healthcare impacts, sustainability domains, and systems-thinking considerations.	LO1, LO2, LO4
2	. Proposes a realistic, evidence-informed, and feasible nursing-led innovation that addresses the identified issue and demonstrates systems thinking, sustainability awareness, and consideration of graduate nurse practice.	LO1, LO3, LO4
3	Communicates the innovation effectively through a professional academic poster using clear structure, visual communication, supporting evidence, and appropriate APA 7 referencing.	LO5
4	Delivers a professional and well-structured pitch that clearly communicates the proposed innovation, anticipated impacts, and the role of nurses and/or graduate nurses in supporting sustainable change.	LO5

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.