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Unit of study_
NURS6019: High Acuity Nursing
2025 unit information
This unit of study addresses nursing practices and interventions that are designed to meet the needs of seriously or critically ill patients being nursed in high acuity hospital settings. It builds on the knowledge, skills and experiences gained in NURS5084 Nursing the Acutely Ill Person and NURS5043 Understanding Health and Managing Disease. The majority of the unit content is devoted to the general field of medical/surgical nursing of seriously or critically ill patients in a high acuity setting. Historically many of these patients would have been located in the emergency or critical care areas of acute hospitals. This unit, however, recognises that changes within the health care system mean that a majority of ‘general’ wards in acute hospital settings have a significantly high acuity population. It also recognises that many patients being nursed in these settings are elderly. The unit explores (through the use of case studies) acute life-threatening health problems such as; interruptions to circulation, neurological functioning and respiratory function. An important component of this unit of study is the understanding of the nursing assessment and management required when caring for deteriorating patients and those with patients with rapidly changing clinical conditions.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Nursing and Midwifery |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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NURS5084 and NURS5043 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Explore and apply clinical and theoretical knowledge that guides nursing assessment and intervention within high acuity settings.
- LO2. Perform routine observation and assessment skills in a safe, efficient and competent manner for patients who are clinically unstable.
- LO3. Articulate reasoning for the performance of such activities including an understanding of the responses to high acuity presentations of acute disruptions to health affecting individuals and families from diverse social and cultural groups.
- LO4. Safely perform relevant complex interventions necessary for managing patients in high acuity settings, for example, advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, haemodynamic monitoring, advanced airway management, blood transfusions, management of multiple intravenous access lines and infusions, tracheostomy suction.
- LO5. Critically analyse and apply the use of the research evidence to inform nursing practice and decision making in high acuity settings.
- LO6. Critically evaluate the role of technology as it relates to patient monitoring and management in the high acuity environment, and consider issues associated with the use of healthcare data and information within this context.
- LO7. Discuss and further appreciate ethical and professional responses and conduct applicable to high acuity setting.
- LO8. While on clinical placement, perform, at a beginning level, a range of observation, assessment, communication and documentation skills for individuals in a culturally safe manner (within scope of practice and under the direct supervision of an Registered Nurse).
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2024
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney | |
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Semester 1 2024
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Normal day | Westmead, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Semester 1 2025
|
Normal day | Westmead, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
