CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Australians are living longer. Traditionally, healthcare has been focused on acute illness. However, the number of people living with chronic disease is growing. This is an important intersection as many chronic illnesses begin as an acute alteration or can cause an acute alteration in health. In this unit, you will analyse lifestyle factors such as obesity, insufficient physical activity, tobacco smoking, and alcohol use and their impact on acute and chronic health conditions. Using a systems-based approach and utilising case studies, you will probe into the journey of healthcare consumers as they experience alterations in cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, nervous and haematological health through an acute episode and follow along as their illness extends to a chronic condition. You will consider the nursing process required to support people with acute and chronic conditions and potential consumer deterioration. You will learn how to assist people living with a chronic health condition to implement self-management strategies and develop care plans from a person-centred, community, family and healthcare service perspective to minimise exacerbations. You will develop a discharge/education plan utilising aspects of behavioural change, psychosocial support and health literacy aimed at effecting change and supporting a person's self-management of chronic illness taking into consideration the roles of other members of the interdisciplinary care team. The unit is scheduled to align with the content of Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for nurses 1.