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 - 2027
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).
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
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- 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.