Aim 
The aim of this assessment is to demonstrate your understanding of the role of communication and how to enhance communication in nursing clinical practice. You will demonstrate this by creating artefacts reflecting your knowledge of the weekly content.  
 
Instructions 
This assessment consists of four individual short tasks relating to the unit content of weeks 1- 5.  
You will work in small groups (maximum of 4 members) throughout the term. The portfolio will consist of tasks related to individual and group learning activities within Moodle. Tasks will require you to participate in a group activity and then answer post-activity questions individually to demonstrate your understanding.  
Each task will have individual instructions; it is important to ensure you read and understand each task. If you are unsure of what is required of any task, please contact your unit coordinators as soon as possible. Task instructions are included at the end of this document. 
You will present your portfolio using headings for each task.  
 
Requirements
1.You must have formed/joined a group and registered the group on Moodle (instructions on how to do this are in the assessment tile in Moodle) by Monday of week 2. If you are unable to find a group by week 2 you must contact the unit coordinators for assistance. 
2. The assessment contains four short answer tasks to make your portfolio, with all tasks relating to the learning content. These tasks are designed to be completed week by week. You are advised to keep up to date with the learning materials. 
3. All tasks require referencing using the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. All references must be valid and relevant. For each individual task, you should present your reference list immediately below your response.  Written pieces of work must include in-text referencing followed by the reference list underneath the task. Examples can be found within the assessment tile on Moodle. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA Referencing Style Guide. 
4. You are to present the portfolio tasks in a word document. All tasks must be your own work.    
5. You are NOT required to include a cover sheet as part of your submission.  
6. You are to submit via the Assessment portal within Moodle by the required due date/time. Late penalties of 5% of the available mark per day may be applied as per the assessment policy.  
 
Resources 
The learning materials and readings provided within Moodle will enable you to complete the portfolio tasks.  
You may use the external resources provided within the weekly modules, journal articles and credible websites as references. Do not reference Moodle itself. 
Tasks may be written in first or third person perspective. Your language must remain formal and academic as appropriate to the style and presentation of the task.  
If you require additional information on academic communication, please go to the Academic Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many helpful resources including information for those students with English as a second language. 
You may upload a draft to Turnitin before the due date to review the Similarity Score before making a final submission. Instructions are available here. Please remember, the similarity score is only a matching tool, and the score alone does not necessarily indicate or eliminate the presence of plagiarism. You must paraphrase appropriately and support statements and information with valid and relevant references. 
 
Submission 
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only.  

Marking Criteria 
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.  
 
Re-Attempts 
A re-attempt is where you are given a second opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of one or more of the unit’s learning outcomes before you can progress to new learning or participate in subsequent learning activities. If you fail, this assessment you may be given the opportunity to re-attempt this assessment but will only achieve a mark no greater than the minimum for a pass standard (50%). To be offered a reassessment you must: 
- Have shown a reasonable attempt to complete the initial assessment (a reasonable attempt in this assessment is defined as fully completing at least 4 of the 5 tasks). 
- Be granted a re-attempt by your unit lead/coordinator. 
- Not have received a fail mark due to the application of late penalties. 
If you are offered a re-attempt, you must make changes to the nominated assessment task which you have failed and resubmit the revised work for marking within seven consecutive days from notification, no extensions will be approved. 
 
Portfolio Task instructions: 
Introductory Task: 
Create or join a group as per the instructions in the unit introduction tile on Moodle. Once you have formed your group (no more than 4 members) register your group on Moodle and self-enrol. Instructions on how to register and enroll in your group on Moodle are available in the assessment tile on Moodle. It is the responsibility of all group members to ensure that they have allocated themselves to the correct Moodle group. 
*This task is required to enable you to complete the learning activities each week as well as successfully complete assessments one and two* 
 
Task 1 (Week 1)  
Step 1: In your group, choose one criterion from standard 2 of the Registered nurse standards for practice (2016).  
Step 2: As a group, discuss the definition of your chosen criterion, how it relates to this scenario and how you would apply this criterion to the scenario. To assist you in your writing, take notes during the group discussion. 
Step 3: In your portfolio, write a summary of the discussion including your understanding of the definition of the chosen criterion and how it relates to the scenario (200 words or equivalent). 
Scenario: 
I am on shift tonight and I am providing care to Marianne Brookfield. She has come into hospital because she is feeling terribly unwell and is doubled up in pain. There have been many tests however nothing has been found so far to explain the pain she is experiencing. She has no family. She is 50 years of age, has no history to suggest why she has this terrible pain. The doctor has prescribed her some medications for the pain; however, she does not agree with pharmaceuticals and declines to take anything. It concerns me so much because she is in so much pain and we cannot do anything to help her.  
 
Thinking task 1: Take a moment to reflect on your initial meeting(s) with your group members. What are your initial thoughts about group work and your group members? Describe any fears, anxieties, good feelings, irritations, or assumptions. You do NOT need to include this in your portfolio however you will need to refer to this in assessment 2.  
 
Task 2 (Week 2)
Complete learning activity 2.4 (on Moodle) and discuss your findings with your group. Record in your portfolio the common themes you discovered when you discussed the people you admire and why you think the themes were similar or different. Use valid and relevant literature to support your ideas. (300 words). 
(Learning activity 2.4 instructions in Moodle: Identify three people you know and admire. We have suggested one from a work setting, one from a family setting and one from a friendship setting. Think about their communication skills. Name what it is that you admire (what communication skills) and provide an example of how this person uses this skill effectively. Then describe how you can improve your communication by incorporating this quality into your communication toolbox.) 
 
Task 3 (Week 3)  
In your group, use the examples of communication strategies in module 3, have one person discuss how they feel about an issue in the media that concerns them currently. Take it in turns to listen or to talk, until everyone has had at least one turn at receiving and deliverer. In your portfolio, write a response for each of the following questions:  
1. What was the most challenging thing you considered when you were discussing your issue of concern from the press? (100 words) 
2. What was the most challenging thing you found when using the communication strategies as the receiver and as the deliverer of the communication? (100 words) 
3. What communication strategies do you want to pay more attention to, as you prepare yourself for clinical placement? (100 words) 
 
Task 4 (Week 4 and 5)  
Complete learning activity 4.1.2 with your group. Consider what your group discussed in regard to the use of honesty as a strategy when communicating with a person in distress. In 300 words describe how the use of honesty will benefit the person in distress and will impact the professional relationship with that person. Ensure that you consider standard 2 of the Registered Nurse standards for practice (2016) in your response.  
(300 words)  

Aim 
The aim of this assessment is to demonstrate your understanding of the role of communication and how to enhance communication in nursing clinical practice. You will demonstrate this by creating artefacts reflecting your knowledge of the weekly content.  
 
Instructions 

Part A consists of seven individual tasks, each task relating to the unit content of weeks 6-12. Part B consists of one individual task related to your groupwork during the term. You will work in small groups (maximum of 4 members) throughout the term. The portfolio will consist of small tasks related to individual and group learning activities located within Moodle. These tasks will require you to participate in a group activity and then answer post-activity questions individually to demonstrate your understanding.  
 Each task will have individual instructions; it is important to ensure you read and understand each task. If you are unsure of what is required of any task, please contact your unit coordinators as soon as possible. Task instructions are included at the end of this document. 
You will present your portfolio using headings for each task.  
 
Requirements  
1. You must remain in the same group that was formed at the beginning of the term. If you have extenuating circumstances and/or believe you cannot remain in your current Moodle registered group, you must contact the unit coordinators for assistance by the end of week 6.   
2. The assessment contains seven short answer tasks to make your portfolio, with all tasks relating to the learning content. These tasks are designed to be completed week by week. You are advised to keep up to date with the learning materials. 
3. All tasks require referencing using the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. All references must be valid and relevant. For each individual task, you should present your reference list immediately below your response. For creative artefacts of learning (such as an artwork), students do not need to provide in-text referencing but must provide the reference list immediately below the task. Written pieces of work must include in-text referencing followed by the reference list underneath the task. Examples can be found within the assessment tile on Moodle. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA Referencing Style Guide. 
4. You are to present the portfolio tasks in a word document. All tasks must be your own work. You are NOT required to include a cover sheet as part of your submission.  
5. You are to submit via the Assessment portal within Moodle by the required due date/time. Late penalties of 5% of the available mark per day may be applied as per the assessment policy. 
 
Resources 
The learning materials and readings provided within Moodle will enable you to complete the portfolio tasks.  
You may use the external resources provided within the weekly modules, journal articles and credible websites as references. Do not reference Moodle itself. 
Tasks may be written in first- or third-person perspective. Your language must remain formal and academic as appropriate to the style and presentation of the task.  
If you require additional information on academic communication please go to the Academic Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many helpful resources including information for those students with English as a second language. 
You may upload a draft to Turnitin before the due date to review the Similarity Score before making a final submission. Instructions are available here. Please remember, the similarity score is only a matching tool, and the score alone does not necessarily indicate or eliminate the presence of plagiarism. You must paraphrase appropriately and support statements and information with valid and relevant references. 
 
Submission 
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only. 
 
Marking Criteria 
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.  

Re-Attempts 
There is no re-attempt available with this assessment item.  
 
 
Part A (55%): Portfolio Task instructions: 
Task 1 (Week 6)
Using what you have learned from module 6, design (or re-design) a study space. You can choose to draw this design, use pictures you have found online or take a photo of a space where you like to study (this could be a space you have created or somewhere you go or even where you meet with your study group). 
OR  
Take a photo of the place where you meet with your study group.  
 
Share your design image with your group and discuss why you designed (or prefer) this space. Your discussion should include:  
Where is this place (general location, please do not give a specific address)? 
Why did you choose this place? 
How do the colours make you feel when you are in this space? 
Why do you think this place helps you to study/communicate well with your group members?  
Would you change anything about the space, and if so, what and why? 
 
Write your answers to these questions in your portfolio along with your image and explore if there were differences in answers between your group members (150 words). 
 
Task 2 (Week 7) 
Refer to your thinking task notes from Task 1 (assessment one). Reflecting on your notes, what you have learned about bias from module 7 and what you now know about your group members? 
Consider: 
- Have your thoughts, opinions, and the way in which you communicate with your group members changed?  
- What are your thoughts about working in a group with them? Has this changed? If so, in what way or if there is no change why do you think this is?  
Write your reflection in your portfolio (200 words) and include how this will inform your communication with new patients in the future.  
 
Task 3 (Week 8)
After completing learning activity 8.3.2, choose a term presented in the week 8 video. Write in your portfolio how you would explain this term to the person in the video attempting to define the term (150 words). Once you have explained the term present your explanation to your group. 
 
Task 4 (Week 9) 
Choose one of the acronyms from module 9 (ISBAR, PACE, CUSS) and create an artwork (such as a poem or picture) that will enable you to remember what the acronym stands for, when it would be used and what information/words you would use for each component of the acronym. You should acknowledge the sources you used to inform your creation, but you do not need to reference within the creative piece, however you will need to include your reference list at the end of the task. (150 words or one page picture).  
 
Task 5 (Week 10) 
Using the term and explanation that you used in task 3 (assessment two), outline how you would explain the meaning of your chosen term to a 7-year-old child and explore the differences between your adult explanation and paediatric explanation (250 words). 
 
Task 6 (Week 11) 
In your group have a debate about the following question: 
‘Is it ok to use a family member as a translator?’ 
Half of the group should work together to be “for” using a family member the other half “against” using a family member. After your debate, choose your stance and in 300 words provide a written summary and explain your rationale for your decision including the ethical considerations. Your response should refer to the relevant codes and standards (300 words). 
 
Task 7 (Week 12) 
As a group, discuss your learning across the term. As a beginning reflective practitioner, complete the SUTE for NURS11164. When you have completed this, consider if there were any differences between the way you fed back your thoughts about the unit to your peers in a group setting, compared to how you fed back anonymously online. Were there any differences between the feedback to your group members compared to the anonymous feedback tool? Did it feel differently to provide anonymous feedback? Provide a written summary of your thoughts regarding how you felt and communication style differences between anonymous feedback and face to face feedback (100 words). 
 
Part B (5%): SPA Tool 
Complete the Self and Peer Assessment tool within Moodle. You will evaluate yourself and your group members within this assessment tool by selecting the most relevant response on the Likert scale. When completing the evaluation tool, keep in mind what you have learnt about providing feedback, the registered nurse standards for practice (2016) and communication during the term.  

Portfolio Two, Part A Rubric (55%)

Portfolio Two, Part B: Criteria statements for SPA tool (5%)

Was dependable in attending group meetings.

Willingly accepted assigned tasks.

Contributed positively to group discussions.

Completed work on time or made alternative arrangements.

Helped others with their work when needed.

Did work accurately and completely.

Contributed their fair share of the work.

Worked well with other group members.

Overall was a valuable member of the team.

Additional comments.