In this unit, you will have the opportunity to practice fundamental nursing care in the aged care environment. You will apply the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) registered nurse standards for practice (2016). You will continue to explore the importance of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017) to all nursing practice in Australia and use the Patient Safety Competency Framework (PSCF) (Levett-Jones et al., 2017) in your practice as a nursing student. You will be expected to identify risk and recognise and respond appropriately to the deteriorating patient in the simulated and clinical environment. You will review the concept of scope of practice using the decision-making framework (DMF) (NMBA, 2020). You are required to participate in a compulsory three (3) day residential school or alternatively, an on-campus workshop prior to attending professional experience placement for this unit. This unit includes a 120 hour block professional experience placement in an aged care environment. You must meet specific mandatory health, safety and security requirements to be eligible to attend each professional experience placement. Professional experience placements may be limited in your community and you may be placed in other locations. Please be prepared financially and personally to cover the costs to relocate for placements. Due to the limited availability of placements, some block placements have start and/or end dates that fall outside standard term dates.

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student evaluation

I am a hands on learned so the information provided in conjunction with the hands on application were great. I learnt so much from this unit.

Continue to review current practice and contemporary literature in aged care aligned with learning outcomes to enable students a successful professional experience placement.

Feedback from Student evaluation

Brisbane campus teachers were amazing and lots of help. Only thing I was say would warn students about the parking arrangements at the Brisbane campus.

Continue to engage with and support students in their learning environments. Notify students of care parking options prior to residential school.

Feedback from Student evaluation

The only feedback I have is that only having three days of practical work in the lab at uni is not enough over an entire semester. I understand as online students it is difficult for some to travel to campus however if there was an option for those that could travel to utilise the lab and practice those skills it would be very beneficial, and I would feel more confident going onto placement.

Continue to provide avenues for students to attend the lab to practice skills when suitable times are available. Include discussion around lab availability in residential school planner.

Feedback from Student evaluation

ANSAT outcomes need to be clear with better instructions. You can't shun students who receive a 5 on their ANSAT when it doesn't fit who you think they are. Especially when you have never met them. It also needs to say Student Comments are mandatory and how they should answer it.

Continue to provide an exemplar to support students learning at residential school and zoom session discussion on completing the ANSAT tool to ensure students fully understand the requirements when completing assessment.