Overview
In this unit, you will explore cognitive and sensory impairments in and on the lives of the older person. You will apply the principles of advanced nursing knowledge, law, ethics, and professional attributes in the provision of best practice nursing care for the older person with cognitive and/or sensory impairment. You will apply and justify nursing clinical decision-making in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nurse-led and collaborative care that aims to maintain or enhance the cognitive and sensory capabilities of the older adult.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
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 Postgraduate 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 Student verbal feedback in Zoom Q & A sessions.
Regular online tutorials - were appreciated and received positively by the students in this unit. The students who attended these regularly commented on "the value of these in preparing for assessments".
Unit coordinator to continue to offer regular online Q & A tutorials to enable students to discuss learning content and its application to the two assessments. This approach enables the students to consider how the learning outcomes could be applied to each assessment.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments Report, T 1, 2024.
The unit coordinator has been great at assisting and guiding. She is also an excellent lecturer, and the course material was well explained.
Unit coordinator to continue to provide contemporary evidence-based lecture content that aligns with practice in caring for older people. Continue to have a clear and succinct Moodle site and written course materials to enhance student learning in the unit.
- Investigate cognitive and/or sensory function impairment and the impact of these impairments in and on the lives of older people.
- Apply contemporary nursing knowledge, ethical, legal, and professional practice concepts to the nursing care of older adults experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment.
- Critically discuss complex nursing care management of the older adult who has cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of specialty practice.
- Justify the nursing care of an older adult experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of nursing practice.
There is no external accreditation linked to this unit.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 60% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Academic Learning Centre services
- Access to MIMS through the university library
- CQ U library search engines for research articles
- CQUniversity library literature search tools
- Microsoft Word
- Wordprocessing, spreadsheeting and powerpoint software
- Zoom account (Free)
- Zoom app on your smart phone or access to Zoom on your laptop
- Endnote bibliographic software. This is optional for formatting references.
- Online access Australian Standards (through CQU Library)
- CQUniversity Library Nursing Resources
- CQUniveristy Library Resources
- Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
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.
a.monson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Healthy Ageing.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Review Assessment One Task Information.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded Zoom - Welcome and unit introduction. Located in the 'Introduction Tile'
Activity – Access the General Discussion page and introduce yourself to your colleagues by providing your:
- Name
- Where you work
- Why you are studying MCN.
Assessments 1 and 2 - Review the assessment tasks and make a study plan.
Foundations of Academic Integrity Program - complete your annual program.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Person-centred Care.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded Zoom - Person-centred Care and Healthy Ageing. Located in Module under 'learning material'.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Physical Assessment.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Begin to review and research Assessment One.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Q & A. Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Psychological and Cognitive Assessments.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Continue working on Assessment One.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded Zoom - Comprehensive Assessment. Located in Module under 'learning material'.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Nursing Knowledge and Law
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Vacation week.
Chapter
Please use this mid-term break as an opportunity to rest and recover. Enjoy your break!
Events and Submissions/Topic
No timetabled learning activities.
Please use this week to progress your assessments.
Module/Topic
Ethics and the Profession.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded Zoom - The Four Paradigms of Nursing. Located in Module under 'learning material'.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Presentation Due: Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Age-Related Changes.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Review Assessment Two Task Information.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Q & A: Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Delirium, Dementia and the importance of Mental Health.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Review and research for Assessment Two.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded Zoom - Common Presentations the ED. Located in Module under 'learning material'.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Sensory Deficits (Taste, Hearing & Vision).
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module. Continue working on Assessment Two.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Q & A: Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Cardiovascular Conditions and Sensory Impairment
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Coroners Case - Death in Aged Care. Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Stimulating Cognitive and Sensory Functioning
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Q & A: Assessment 2 questions. Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Deterioration and the Older Adult.
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined in the Module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Tutorial - Q & A: Please see the module for the link and the date and time.
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates.
Written Assessment Due: Week 12 Wednesday (8 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Nil.
Chapter
Nil.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Nil.
Module/Topic
Nil.
Chapter
Nil.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Nil.
As this unit is offered online (or face-to-face or hybrid or blended [DCHA20003], students are asked to prepare their own individual study plan to undertake self-led and self-directed study throughout the term. A key to your success is a strategic self-directed approach to learning and regular contact with your Unit Coordinator/s. Please check the Announcements and Discussion forums at least twice a week – there will be regular announcements about assessments and unit resources throughout the term and reviewing this information is essential to unit knowledge and your success. CQUniversity communicates with students through CQUniversity email. We recommend that you access your CQUniversity email at least twice a week so that you do not miss vital information about your studies.
1 Presentation
Type: Presentation
Due date: 4 pm (AEST), Wednesday 27th August 2025 (Week 6)
Extensions: Available as per policy
The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment.
Return date: 17th September 2025, 4 pm
Weighting: 40%
Length: 8 to 10 minutes (seven PowerPoint slides)
Unit Coordinator: Dr. Ainslie Hall
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to critically examine the impact of urinary tract infections (UTIs) on older adults with impaired cognition, such as those with dementia or delirium, highlighting potential complications and management strategies to promote better health outcomes for older adults.
Instructions
Instructions for this assessment can be accessed on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
· In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment in Microsoft PowerPoint format only.
Week 9 Wednesday (17 Sept 2025)
Students will be advised of release of assessment marking via an announcement posted to the Announcement's Board on the Unit Moodle site. Please note, this 'Return to Students Information' is an approximate date.
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.
- Investigate cognitive and/or sensory function impairment and the impact of these impairments in and on the lives of older people.
- Apply contemporary nursing knowledge, ethical, legal, and professional practice concepts to the nursing care of older adults experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment.
- Critically discuss complex nursing care management of the older adult who has cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of specialty practice.
- Justify the nursing care of an older adult experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of nursing practice.
2 Written Assessment
Type: Written Assessment
Due date: 4 pm AEST 8th October 2025 (Week 12)
Extensions: Available as per policy
The 72-hour grace period applies to this assessment.
Return date: 22nd October 2025, 4 pm
Weighting: 60%
Length: 3,000 words +/- 10% (excluding reference list)
Unit Coordinators: Dr Ainslie Hall
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to critically analyse the case of Mr. O, a 79-year-old man with complex comorbidities who passed away following multiple falls in a Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF). You will evaluate the factors contributing to his incident, highlight failings in care, and recommend improvements in nursing practices for vulnerable older adults who reside in RACFs.
Instructions
Instructions for this assessment can be accessed on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
· In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 12 Wednesday (8 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment in Microsoft Word format only.
Exam Week Wednesday (22 Oct 2025)
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only. Late penalties of 5% per day of the available mark may be applied as per the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). Contact TASAC if you experience technical issues submitting your assessment: • Phone toll-free 1300 666 620 • Email tasac@cqu.edu.au
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.
- Investigate cognitive and/or sensory function impairment and the impact of these impairments in and on the lives of older people.
- Apply contemporary nursing knowledge, ethical, legal, and professional practice concepts to the nursing care of older adults experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment.
- Critically discuss complex nursing care management of the older adult who has cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of specialty practice.
- Justify the nursing care of an older adult experiencing cognitive and/or sensory impairment in your context of nursing practice.
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?
