Outline

Overview

This unit of study explores contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and the ways in which historical circumstances have had, and continue to have, an impact on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students will explore the most significant social determinants of health as these relate to the health of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The subject includes introduction to key terminology, concepts and skills that can enable students to engage in respectful and culturally safe health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. While the unit will focus primarily on the health of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it will also provide opportunity for comparison with the health of the Indigenous populations in other nations. The subject will provide an overview of and opportunity for critical discussion in relation to strategic planning in Indigenous health contexts. Students will have opportunity to focus specifically on Indigenous health programs, and to examine issues and control, planning, delivery and evaluation processes.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Nursing and Midwifery
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	NURS5002
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Belinda Clough, belinda.clough@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Assessment 1 Essay Racism in health	45%	Week 05 Due date: 27 Mar 2022 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Assessment 2 Group Presentation Explore one health inequity & an associated community-led health initiative	25%	Week 11 Due date: 08 May 2022 at 23:59	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assessment 3 Written Reflection Reflection around cultural safety	30%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2022 at 23:59	800 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessment 1 – Essay

Students are required to explore and discuss past and present institutional racism in the Australian healthcare system and its impact on the health of First Nations Peoples, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study. In addition, responses are to include a discussion of potential strategies to address the issue of institutionalised racism, incorporating a strengths-based perspective of the resilience of First Nations Peoples despite these significant challenges.

Assessment 2 – Group presentation

Each group will be allocated one one Closing the Gap target (2020) to explore and examine the reason behind the target’s inclusion in the strategy, as well as providing linkage to one associated community-led initiative or program to address this specific health inequity.

Assessment 3 – Written Reflection

Students are to submit a written reflection on their understanding of cultural safety and its impact on their future nursing practice, developed throughout this Unit of Study, based on the Gibbs Reflective Cycle.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Exceptional standard
Distinction	75 - 84	Very high standard
Credit	65 - 74	Good standard
Pass	50 - 64	Acceptable standard
Fail	0 - 49	Unsatisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Where an assignment is submitted late without an approved extension, a late penalty will apply. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero marks will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to the unit, First Nations Peoples, culture, history and perceptions of health and wellbeing	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 02	First Nations Peoples health, social and cultural determinants	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 03	Cultural safety	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 04	Closing the Gap campaign	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 06	Panel discussion with First Nations health experts	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Looking forward	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Group presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Art and health	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 13	Reflection and application to nursing practice	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Attendance at lectures and tutorial class sessions is a requirement of the unit of study and students who are absent without good cause may not be eligible to achieve a minimum grade of PASS. The Sydney Nursing School Resolutions specifically outline attendance requirements. Resolution 7.2 states that if students are absent without leave for more that 10% of classes in a particular unit of study in any one semester, the Dean may call upon them to show cause why they should not be deemed to have failed that unit of study. It is expected that all students participate and fully engage in the content of this unit of study by attending lectures, tutorials and laboratories, being prepared for tutorials and laboratories, contributing to discussions in class and online, and providing and receiving feedback in a respectful and dignified manner

Referencing guide: The Sydney Nursing School has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing style, 7th Edition, 2020 as its official referencing style. This is an author-date style of referencing.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See Canvas Reading List

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Search for, evaluate and discuss the strengths and positive contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and services in Australia.
LO2. Identify important historical and policy factors that have influenced the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
LO3. Discuss the current health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how this compares with the health of non-Indigenous Australians and Indigenous populations internationally.
LO4. Critically discuss the importance of acknowledging different ways of understanding health conditions from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other diverse cultural perspectives and the implications this can have for healthcare.
LO5. Develop awareness of culturally sensitive modes of communicating and delivering healthcare in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities such as Aboriginal art.
LO6. Demonstrate knowledge of the need for nurses and other health professionals to be culturally competent practitioners, and a foundational understanding of how to work with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples in culturally safe ways.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 1.3. Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 2.7. Actively fosters a culture of safety and learning that includes engaging with health professionals and others, to share knowledge and practice that supports person- centered care 3.2. Provides the information and education required to enhance people’s control over health
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 3.3. Uses a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self and others 4.3. Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.1. Accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings for safe quality practice 4.3. Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 1.3. Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 2.5. Advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.3. Works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and well being of people and populations to determine priorities for action and/or for referral
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.3. Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 2.4. Provides support and directs people to resources to optimise health related decisions 2.5. Advocates on behalf of people in a manner that respects the person’s autonomy and legal capacity 4.1. Conducts assessments that are holistic as well as culturally appropriate 4.2. Uses a range of assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information and data to inform practice
	Registered Nurses Standards for Practice - 1.2. Develops practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs to identify how these shape practice 1.3. Respects all cultures and experiences, which includes responding to the role of family and community that underpin the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of other cultures 2.2. Communicates effectively, and is respectful of a person’s dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights 2.3. Recognises that people are the experts in the experience of their life 6.1. Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that are responsive to the nursing needs of people 7.1. Evaluates and monitors progress towards the expected goals and outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In order to further align with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework as well as student feedback, this course has an increased focus on applying principles of cultural safety in nursing practice, as well as replacing the final exam with a reflective assessment task.

Additional information

Sensitive materials in teaching: Please note that in this Unit of Study sensitive and potentially distressing or disturbing content will be presented and/or discussed from time to time. This may include reference to for example, discrimination, assault, suicide, illness, death and dying or culturally sensitive issues, including First Nations Peoples who have passed away. These topics are relevant to your learning in this unit of study and your knowledge and skill development for nursing practice. You will be advised before the information/topic is presented. If the nature of the content makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the academic team to discuss this with them

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

NURS6033: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect