Overview
In this unit, you will build on your introductory knowledge of the science of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems to explore fundamental pathophysiology (alteration in function as seen in disease) of these body systems and the pharmacology of drugs used in the treatment and management of diseases. Throughout this unit, you will develop your knowledge of body systems in both healthy and disease states, and how these disease states may be managed therapeutically. The unit concentrates on common major diseases of these body systems which facilitates a comprehensive study of the pathophysiology encountered in these disease states, as well as gaining an understanding of normal physiology. This is complemented by the study of the treatment and management of these diseases, whilst also focusing on the professional and legal responsibilities that underpin the use of medicines in the treatment of human disease.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: BIOH12011 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 1
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
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.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
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 SUTE
Students commented that using scenarios to help link the theory to a real life scenario helps with their knowledge and understanding.
Case scenarios will be retained for the weekly Q&A tutorial and will be conducted by a registered nurse to provide nursing context.
Feedback from SUTE
Students commented about the limited content covered in the tutorials.
Students will be reminded that tutorials are intended to supplement the pre-recorded lectures, emphasising challenging concepts and aligning with assessment case study questions.
Feedback from Direct feedback from students
Students found the practice quizzes for the online test assessments beneficial in preparing them for the actual assessment.
The practice quizzes will be retained and the questions will be updated as required with unit and assessment updates.
- Apply knowledge of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems to discuss pathophysiological processes, signs and symptoms of various relevant diseases.
- Evaluate appropriate pharmacological interventions in disease processes of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to the evaluation of appropriateness of various pharmacological interventions.
- Discuss the nurse’s professional and legal responsibilities in the quality use of medicines.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Case Study - 20% | ||||
| 3 - Online Test - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nurses 2
Edition: 2nd (2025)
Authors: Debra Carlson and Roslyn Clapperton
Pearson Australia
Richmond Richmond , Victoria , Australia
ISBN: 978-0-655-71846-8
This textbook has been compiled from numerous textbooks and is a custom edition for CQU.
This textbook has been compiled from numerous textbooks and is a custom edition for CQU.
Additional Textbook Information
It is preferred that students purchase the 2nd edition of the textbook; however, they can use the first edition if they already have it.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.carlson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Neoplasia, Stress and Immune Disorders
Chapter
Module 1: Neoplasia and immune system pathophysiology
Chapters 1 to 3.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Antimicrobial Pharmacology, Antibacterial Agents and Neuropharmacology
Chapter
Module 2: Antimicrobial pharmacology and neuropharmacology
Chapters 4 to 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Urinary System Anatomy and Physiology
Chapter
Modules, 3, 4 and 5: Urinary system anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 10 to 13
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Urinary System Physiology and Pathophysiology
Chapter
Modules 3, 4 and 5: Urinary system anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 14 to 16
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Urinary System Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
Chapter
Modules 3, 4 and 5: Urinary system anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 17 to 20
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Vacation week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Integumentary Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
Chapter
Module 6: Integumentary pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 21 to 26
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Part 1
Chapter
Modules 7 and 8: Musculoskeletal pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 27 to 34
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Part 2
Chapter
Modules 7 and 8: Musculoskeletal pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 35 to 41
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Part 1
Chapter
Modules 9 and 10: Gastrointestinal pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 42 to 46
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Part 2
Chapter
Modules 9 and 10: Gastrointestinal pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 47 to 51
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Female Reproductive Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
Chapter
Modules 11 and 12: Reproductive pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 52 to 55 and 59
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Male Reproductive Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, and Sexually Transmitted Infections
Chapter
Modules 11 and 12: Reproductive pathophysiology and associated pharmacology
Chapters 56 to 59
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
The unit coordinator this term is Dr Debra Carlson. The best way to contact the unit coordinator is
Email: bioh12012@cqu.edu.au
Telephone: 07 4930 6364
and via the Q&A forum on the Moodle site.
- Any non-personal communication should be conducted via the relevant forums on the Moodle site e.g., questions relating to the lectures, tutorials, assessments etc.
- Any personal communication should be conducted with the unit coordinator via email or telephone e.g., personal illness, life events etc.
- Please ensure that all emails contain your name, contact details and unit code, as the unit coordinator is coordinating more than one unit during the term.
- All assessment extension requests must be made via the link on the Moodle site and meet the policy requirements, please see the policy details in the Assessment tile on Moodle. Although we do not like to deny extension requests, if an extension request does not meet the policy requirements or appropriate documentation is not provided it will likely not be approved.
Unit Content:
The unit content has been developed so that the first week contains underpinning concepts that are relative to numerous diseases being covered during the term. Week two focuses on pharmacology, including neuropharmacology, and the remaining weeks contain anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the renal, integumentary, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. The following information and links will be provided each week:
- Selected weekly readings from the unit textbook, learning objectives and associated terminology.
- Lecture slides and pre-recorded lectures.
- Tutorial slides and recordings of the live tutorials (typically available within 24 hours of the tutorial).
- A weekly practice quiz.
- Additional resources to support learning.
The pre-recorded lectures are being updated during the term and will be released progressively throughout the term on the Moodle site.
It is expected that students will review the weekly content, including the assigned readings and pre-recorded lectures prior to attending the tutorials.
Tutorials:
There are two different tutorials held each week, both will provide students with an opportunity to ask questions. The information in these tutorials is designed to supplement the information in the pre-recorded lectures and incorporate content to aid in enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the diseases and disorders included in the assessments throughout the term.
- Concept tutorial will review key concepts from the weekly lectures.
- Q&A tutorial is conducted by a registered nurse and will use real life case scenarios and questions to help you apply what you are learning to the nursing profession.
All tutorials will be delivered live on the Rockhampton campus, students who are unable to attend the campus in person can join the tutorial online via the Zoom link provided in the Virtual Classes tile on the Moodle site. All students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in the weekly tutorials; however, they will be recorded to enable students who are unable to attend to view the content afterward.
As per Australian educational standards, you are expected to commit 150 hours of engagement to your study of this unit. A recommended breakdown of study hours is given below:
- 2-3 hours per week watching lectures and revising content through study notes.
- 2-3 hours per week attending the weekly tutorials and reflecting on your answers to the weekly study questions.
- 2-3 hours per week revising content from the current week and previous weeks.
- 2-3 hours per week preparing and studying for your assessments.
1 Online Test
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Aim
The aim of the online test is to assess your knowledge and understanding of neoplasia, stress, immune disorders, antimicrobial pharmacology, antibacterial agents, neuropharmacology, the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the urinary system, and the application of these to various diseases.
Online test 1 details:
- Opens: Week 6, Monday at 1:00 pm AEST
- Closes: Week 6, Tuesday at 1:00 pm AEST
- Topics assessed: Weeks 1 to 5
- Attempts allowed: one (1)
- The online test will contribute 40% to your final grade.
- There is a minimum requirement for the assessment task: 50% of the available marks.
- In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after the assigned date.
- Note: this is a test and as such there will be no option to complete the assessment prior to the opening date and time listed in the unit profile and on the Moodle site.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 6 Tuesday (26 Aug 2025) 1:00 pm AEST
The online test will be open for a 24 hour period on Monday 25 August 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST and will close on Tuesday 26 August 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST.
Marks will be made available and students will be able to review the test after all students have completed the online test and all manual marking has been completed.
- The online test will be a combination of automatically and manually marked questions.
- A variety of question styles similar to those in the weekly practice quizzes, as well as written application short answer and case study questions, will be used in the online test to assess the content in a variety of contexts.
- The online test assessment equals 40% of the total unit marks, and you are required to achieve a minimum of 50% of the marks available for this assessment task to pass the unit.
- All extension requests must be made through the extension request system on Moodle with appropriate documentation that complies with the Assessment Policy and Procedure.
- Once the online test has closed, you will not be able to access it unless you have an approved extension or have arranged with the Unit Coordinator to reopen it, and any late submissions will incur a penalty of 5% per calendar day.
- Apply knowledge of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems to discuss pathophysiological processes, signs and symptoms of various relevant diseases.
- Evaluate appropriate pharmacological interventions in disease processes of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to the evaluation of appropriateness of various pharmacological interventions.
- Discuss the nurse’s professional and legal responsibilities in the quality use of medicines.
2 Case Study
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Aim
The aim of this assessment is to consolidate your learning and demonstrate your understanding of the effects of a disease or condition on a patient. To achieve this you are required to apply the theory that you have been taught, to the patient in a case study. This includes demonstrating your understanding of the aetiology, risk factors and pathophysiology of the disease or condition that your patient has, the clinical manifestations exhibited by your patient, the diagnostic tests conducted on your patient and the medication provided to your patient to treat their disease or manage their clinical manifestations. This assessment requires you to develop the level of understanding required to give evidence-based advice within your scope of practice, to manage/educate your patients and close the gaps in healthcare.
Topic selection
Provision will be made on the Moodle site for you to select a broad topic area for your case study assessment, if you do not select a topic area then one will be randomly assigned to you. You will only be able to access the case study for the topic area that you have selected or been assigned. You will not be provided with the specific disease of your patient prior to conducting the assessment as this will be incorporated into the online case study.
Completion of the case study
The case study will be presented in an online format with various question styles used to assess the understanding of the disorder. The case study topics will be related to diseases or conditions covered in weeks 4 to 7 of this unit, including any relevant underlying condition covered in week 1, and relevant pharmacological treatments for each disease or condition, including those covered in week 2.
The following information will be made available to you throughout the online case study: clinical presentation, patient history, physical examination, a pathophysiology concept map, diagnosis and treatment. As you progress through the online case study you will be required to answer questions relating to the information provided about the patient in the case study. These are designed to assess your ability to apply what you have learnt during the term to the patient in your case study.
Question style
- The case study will have a combination of question styles including multiple choice, multiple selection, short answer and long answer questions.
- A maximum word count limit will be indicated at the written answer questions:
- Short written answer questions will often only require a few words to answer them effectively.
- Long written answer questions will have an indication at them of the approximate word count required to answer the question effectively.
- Each question will have information about the patient at it; however, some questions may incorporate information from previous information pages so it is recommended that you take notes about your patient as you progress the case study.
Referencing
- Some written answer questions may require you to provide a reference at them.
- If a reference is required for your written answer it will be indicated at the question and you are required to identify where you have sourced your information.
- Your reference should be written on a new line after the end of your answer to the question and be written in proper APA format as it would be placed into a reference list, you do not need to reference within your answer.
- Only the resources listed below and provided on Moodle are to be used.
Approved resources
- The following resources are the only ones approved for use in this assessment:
- The prescribed textbooks for BIOH12011 and BIOH12012.
- The BIOH12012 lecture and tutorial slides which are relevant to your topic.
- Any of the resources in the BIOH12012 E-reading list which are relevant to your topic i.e. textbooks, journal articles, MIMS.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 9 Tuesday (16 Sept 2025) 1:00 pm AEST
The case study assessment will be open for a 24 hour period on Monday 15 September 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST and will close on Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST
Week 11 Friday (3 Oct 2025)
Marks will be available once all students have completed the online case study and all manual marking has been completed.
- The online case study will be a combination of automatically and manually marked questions.
- The case study assessment equals 20% of the total unit marks, and you are required to achieve a minimum of 50% of the marks available for this assessment task to pass the unit.
- All extension requests must be made through the extension request system on Moodle with appropriate documentation that complies with the Assessment Policy and Procedure.
- Once the online case study has closed, you will not be able to access it unless you have an approved extension or have arranged with the Unit Coordinator to reopen it, and any late submissions will incur a penalty of 5% per calendar day.
- Apply knowledge of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems to discuss pathophysiological processes, signs and symptoms of various relevant diseases.
- Evaluate appropriate pharmacological interventions in disease processes of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to the evaluation of appropriateness of various pharmacological interventions.
3 Online Test
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Aim
The aim of the online test is to assess your knowledge and understanding of the integumentary, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and reproductive anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology, and the application of these to various diseases.
Online test 2 details:
- Opens: Review/Exam Week, Monday at 1:00 pm AEST
- Closes: Review/Exam Week, Tuesday at 1:00 pm AEST
- Topics assessed: Weeks 6 to 12
- Attempts allowed: one (1)
- The online test will contribute 40% to your final grade.
- There is a minimum requirement for the assessment task: 50% of the available marks.
- In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after the assigned date.
- Note: this is a test and as such there will be no option to complete the assessment prior to the opening date and time listed in the unit profile and on the Moodle site.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Review/Exam Week Tuesday (14 Oct 2025) 1:00 pm AEST
The online test will be open for a 24 hour period on Monday 13 October 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST and will close on Tuesday 14 October 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST.
Marks will be available once all students have completed the online test and all manual marking has been completed.
- The online test will be a combination of automatically and manually marked questions.
- A variety of question styles similar to those in the weekly practice quizzes, as well as written application short answer and case study questions, will be used in the online test to assess the content in a variety of contexts.
- The online test equals 40% of the total unit marks, and you are required to achieve a minimum of 50% of the marks available for this assessment task to pass the unit.
- All extension requests must be made through the extension request system on Moodle with appropriate documentation that complies with the Assessment Policy and Procedure.
- Once the online test has closed, you will not be able to access it unless you have an approved extension or have arranged with the Unit Coordinator to reopen it, and any late submissions will incur a penalty of 5% per calendar day.
- Apply knowledge of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems to discuss pathophysiological processes, signs and symptoms of various relevant diseases.
- Evaluate appropriate pharmacological interventions in disease processes of the musculoskeletal, renal, immune and lymphatic systems, gastrointestinal, integumentary and reproductive systems.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to the evaluation of appropriateness of various pharmacological interventions.
- Discuss the nurse’s professional and legal responsibilities in the quality use of medicines.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
