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Integrated Nursing Practice 3



Off Campus Unit

This unit was a work integrated learning experience where I learned predominantly in off-campus health care contexts (4 weeks/160 hours). Positioned at the developing stage of my course, it built on all preceding units. I was expected to draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous units to develop my practice and was actively encouraged to apply learning and skills from earlier units. The unit had a concurrent requisite of the on campus unit to facilitate the application of theory to practice. My knowledge of and ability to apply the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Health Priority Areas, Aged Care Quality Standards, and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards were essential to nursing practice.


Experiential learning was at the forefront of this unit, where I attended for a continuous period of time in the off-campus healthcare environment. Healthcare environments, including clinics and home-based, community, mental health, and acute-care facilities, were part of this immersive experience. Preparation for this unit involved a review of theoretical concepts explored in previous units to facilitate their application to practice. I prepared for this off-campus experience through simulated clinical situations and small group clinical skills and practice activities, incorporating the use of a range of health care technologies.


I was also directed to revisit the safe and quality use of medicines and their administration, drawing on the learning activities and resources from my previous integrated on-campus units, including the on campus unit. A peer-learning community of practice was used to encourage active collaboration and provide additional support and engagement during placement off campus. Clinical supervisors facilitated and supported the transfer of knowledge and skills to the real-world context, aligning with the requirements to satisfactorily complete the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT). Learning experiences included a focus on promoting the implementation of evidence-based, scientific knowledge, communication, critical inquiry, digital literacy, and intra and interprofessional collaboration as an ethical, socially inclusive, and culturally safe practitioner.


Attendance at mandatory clinical practice sessions and off-campus clinical placement was required for this unit.



On Campus Unit

I consolidated cognitive skills in clinical reasoning during this unit, integrating prior knowledge and skills. It further developed my understanding of decisions that inform nursing practice at a developing level. The emphasis was on people's experiences within the continuum of care in various healthcare contexts, highlighting chronic and acute dimensions of illness through unfolding clinical cases. The critical thinking and analysis of nursing practice elements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice were particularly emphasized. This unit was connected to subsequent integrated nursing practice units.


This unit employed a combination of face-to-face and online activities to develop essential knowledge and skills. I actively participated and collaborated in clinical practice sessions and simulation activities, exploring various clinical situations. The learning experiences offered opportunities to enhance and practice multimodal communication skills. Tutorials allowed me to work with case studies and scenarios across the lifespan, developing critical inquiry skills. Clinical practice sessions and online simulations involved the use of various health technologies, including digital health records, enabling the continuous development of my digital literacy skills. The diverse range of learning activities provided crucial experiential learning opportunities for me to apply knowledge and skills, as well as to evaluate and refine my practice in preparation for off-campus clinical placement. The utilization of the clinical reasoning framework underpinned critical inquiry across the spectrum of learning activities.





 


Learning outcomes


  • Consolidate knowledge of key NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, and National Health Priority Areas to enable effective decision making, planning and action in a range of complex clinical situations across the lifespan, including a focus on the deteriorating patient

  • Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology to support clinical reasoning that promotes safe, evidence-based, person-centred care

  • Demonstrate structured clinical reasoning to review a range of health situations, synthesise evidence and data, determine priorities, and formulate plans and interventions in line with timeframes and agreed goals.

  • Demonstrate evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning and decision making to provide culturally safe, quality, person-centred care consistent with the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards at a developing level of practice.

  • Safely and accurately perform medication calculations and demonstrate safe administration of medicines in both the simulated environment and the clinical practice setting.

  • Satisfactorily complete hi-fidelity simulation and engage with critical thinking and clinical reasoning in diverse and complex healthcare settings consistent with safe person-centred care across the lifespan.

  • Demonstrate developing level provision of safe, appropriate, and responsive quality nursing care for consumers, families, and the broader community.


 


Projects - Off Campus Unit


Project One


Med+Safe Exam.

The test questions centered on calculations and the development of knowledge and skills associated with medication administration and the quality use of medicines.

I provided evidence of successfully completing the required test in the Med+Safe application during the invigilated school-based assessment period.


 

Project Two


Simulation and Completion of ePortfolio activity.

I engaged in face-to-face clinical simulation scenarios, necessitating a collaborative approach to address problems and challenges within the given situation. These scenarios were designed to help me integrate concepts and principles required for practice as a beginning-level registered nurse, delivering person-centered care in various clinical settings. The emphasis was on developing team skills and communicating for safety. I critically analyzed and addressed ongoing nursing care provision, incorporating experiential learning from real-world practice. The scenarios focused on complex patient problems and team processes, including small team leadership capabilities. Pre-briefing and de-briefing were fundamental components of the learning experience, along with the completion of a learning activity directly related to the simulation.



 

Project Three


Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

I attended a series of mandatory lab sessions to learn safe medication practices and nursing skills, ensuring the ability to provide safe person-centered care. The sessions concluded with an OSCE assessment. Attendance at these lab sessions was mandatory for eligibility for the OSCE assessment, with limited options available for making up a session due to legitimate illness or other absence. I was expected to apply principles of safe practice and demonstrate satisfactory performance of one selected skill in an OSCE context, using my current knowledge, skills, and attributes developed from mandatory attendance at clinical laboratory sessions.

In the OSCE, my performance of the skill was assessed according to relevant best practice guidelines and performance criteria. The assessment took place under exam conditions, and I was not prompted during the assessment. Additionally, I was not permitted to bring or review resources external to those supplied at the OSCE station.



 

Project Four


Placement performance.

During my assigned clinical placement, I was assessed on my ability to demonstrate a range of knowledge, skills, and attributes in relation to the provision of safe, quality, person-centred care. My performance in assessments was determined in line with the NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice using the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT). It was required for me to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of the seven standards and their related criteria at this level. Each criterion of the ANSAT had to be achieved satisfactorily, and 100% attendance was mandatory during the off-campus clinical placement.





 


Projects - On Campus Unit


Project One


Quizzes.

Quizzes were conducted to assess my knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking relevant to the unit content.


 

Project Two


Case study and discussion.

I focused on providing care for consumers in specific health situations and with various health conditions across the lifespan. Drawing on evidence-based knowledge and practice, I reviewed the situations, synthesized evidence and data, determined priorities, and formulated appropriate interventions in line with timeframes and agreed goals.



 

Project Three


Short answer case study examination.

I participated in a centrally timetabled written examination that included case studies and short-answer questions.



 

Overall Grading

Mark: 75

Grade: 6

Grade Description: Distinction


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