In Progress
Please note that this Unit Profile is still in progress. The content below is subject to change.Overview
This unit builds on the knowledge, skills and dispositions from the foundational nursing units to explore the nursing care for individuals experiencing an acute episode of illness. Given Australia’s ageing population, it is important to recognise chronic illnesses are often first diagnosed as a result of an acute alteration. This unit will equip you to apply an evidence-based approach to assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating and documenting nursing care for patients experiencing acute illness. You will consider the nursing process and clinical decision-making required to support individuals with acute conditions and/or early recognition of clinical deterioration.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: NURS11170 or admission to CM77
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 1 - 2026
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 Unit Comments 2025
Students valued the range of learning resources, including podcasts and interactive tutorials, which supported flexible and engaging learning.
Continue offering diverse learning resources, including weekly podcasts with industry experts and interactive tutorials, to maintain high engagement and accommodate different learning preferences.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments 2025, End of Term UC Report 2025
Some students found Assessment 1 timing too early in the term and Assessment 2 word count too restrictive for the required depth of analysis.
Move Assessment 1 to Week 5 to allow for greater content assimilation, particularly for Enrolled Nurse (EN) and direct-entry students. Increase word limit for Assessment 2 to allow for more comprehensive responses, while ensuring alignment between the task, rubric, and tutorial guidance.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments 2025
Students noted inconsistencies in marking and feedback across assessors, with some feedback perceived as unclear or overly critical.
Strengthen marker calibration through consensus moderation sessions, provision of exemplar responses, and clearer marking guidelines to ensure consistent interpretation of rubrics and constructive feedback delivery.
Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments 2025
Some students indicated that assessment support sessions occurred too close to due dates, limiting the opportunity to apply feedback or clarification.
Schedule assessment Q&A sessions and Academic Learning Centre drop-ins at least two weeks before submission dates to maximise usefulness and reduce last-minute confusion.
- Investigate physiological, pathophysiological and psychosocial factors associated with the early recognition and escalation of care for individuals with acute alterations in health.
- Assess, plan, implement, evaluate and communicate priority care needs of the individual with an acute alteration in their health.
- Apply evidence-based interventions that incorporate psychosocial, ethico-legal, and cultural safety considerations in caring for the individual with acute health alterations.
- Analyse the independent and collaborative roles of the registered nurse caring for individuals experiencing acute health alterations within diverse inter-professional care contexts.
Content in this unit incorporates a number of professional nursing requirements
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia decision-Making Framework (DMF) - Nursing
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice
Maintains the capability for practice
Develops a plan for nursing practice
Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Nursing Code of Conduct
Legal compliance
Person-centred practice
Cultural practice and respectful relationships
Professional behaviour
Research in health
Health and wellbeing
International Council of Nursing Code of Ethics for Nursing
Nurses and People
Nurses and Practice
Nurses and the Profession
Nurses and co-workers
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
Clinical governance
Partnering with consumers
Preventing and Controlling healthcare-associated infection
Medication safety
Comprehensive care
Communicating for safety
Recognising and responding to acute deterioration
Patient Safety Competency Framework
Person-centred care
Therapeutic communication
Cultural competence
Teamwork and collaborative practice
Clinical reasoning
Evidence-based practice
Preventing, minimising and responding to adverse events
Infection prevention and control
Medication safety
Aged Care Quality Standards
Consumer dignity and choice
Ongoing assessment and planning with consumer
Personal care and clinical care
Services and supports for daily living
Organisation’s service environment
Feedback and complaints
Human resources
Organisational governance
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 60% | ||||
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 | ||||