Overview
In this unit you will have the opportunity to explore clinical governance, its application to nursing and the health care setting. You will apply a specific governance framework to your clinical setting and evaluate its effectiveness. You will also examine the use of clinical audits as part of a quality improvement cycle as a means for measuring clinical effectiveness and improving patient care.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must be enrolled in CL22 Master of Clinical Nursing or CL16 Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing to undertake 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 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 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 emails
Students working in clinical practice felt overloaded with working in their new role as new graduates while simultaneously completing their graduate program and studying.
Recommend students get advice at the beginning of the term to pace their assessment preparations, rather than leaving it to the last minute. Students are encouraged to contact the unit coordinator via email. Recommend to students that they apply for an extension early if required.
Feedback from Email from graduate coordinator
Hospital graduate coordinators were unsure regarding the assessment items and provided confusing feedback to students.
Recommend graduate coordinators attend the Academic liaison meetings to remain appraised of the current assessment requirements.
- Explain the concept of clinical governance and justify its relevance to the clinical setting and nursing practice.
- Apply a framework derived from the National Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to evaluate clinical governance in a clinical setting.
- Explain the use of clinical audits as part of a quality improvement cycle to improve nursing practice and patient care.
- Identify deviations from best practice and discuss areas for improvement.
N/A.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Workplace Project - 60% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 40% | ||||
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 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 9 - 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
- CQUniversity library literature search tools
- CQ university Library resourses for research
- 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)
- CQUniversity Library search engines for research articles
- CQUniversity Library Nursing/Midwifery/Social Work Resources
- Australian Standards (through CQU library)
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.
l.m.thompson@cqu.edu.au
a.j.hall@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Module 1 Nursing and Clinical Governance.
Chapter
Review the Moodle site and click on all the links.
Find out what is in Student Support?
Find out how to find the Library?
Click on the link and learn what is in the Academic Learning Centre.
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Recorded presentations:
Welcome and Unit Introduction.
Weekly lecture/tutorial.
Activity: Access the General Discussion page and introduce yourself to your colleagues by providing your name and maybe why you are studying this unit and course.
Assessments: Review the assessment tasks and make a study plan.
Foundations of Academic Integrity Program: Complete your annual program.
Announcements and Discussion Forums: Check for posts and updates.
Module/Topic
Module 1 Nursing and Clinical Governance.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams - Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Assessment 1 - Start searching the literature and preparing your assessment.
Announcements and Discussion Forums - Check for posts and updates.
Student email - Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 2. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Unit content and assessments.
Census Date is next week. If you are struggling, please contact your Unit Coordinator for help.
Assessment 1 – Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 2 Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Census Date – Tuesday Week 4
Assessment 1 – Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 3 Clinical Audits in Practice.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Unit content and assessments
Assessment 1 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 3 Clinical Audits in Practice.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Assessment 1 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
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
Module 4 The quality improvement cycle.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Unit content and assessments.
Assessment 1 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Workplace Project - Audit Plan Due: Week 7 Wednesday (29 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 4 The quality improvement cycle.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 5 Clinical Governance Infrastructure Across Clinical Settings.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Unit content and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Read the literature to identify the credibility of the evidence and continue preparing your assessment. You might wish to seek assessment preparation help from the Academic Learning Centre and/or Studiosity.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 5 Clinical Governance Infrastructure Across Clinical Settings.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Module/Topic
Module 6 Identification of deviation from best practice and the improvement of patient care.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Unit content and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation survey – We encourage you to provide feedback about your unit and teaching experiences in this unit. The survey opens Week 11 and closes one week before release of grades.
Module/Topic
Module 6 Identification of deviation from best practice and the improvement of patient care.
Chapter
Readings and activities as outlined in module.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom/Teams – Zoom tutorial and unit content and assessments.
Assessment 2 – Check the originality of your assessment through Turnitin and make relevant changes to your assessment after reviewing your originality report.
Announcement and Discussion Forums – Check for posts and updates.
Student email – Check your student email at least twice per week for important communications.
Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation survey – Please complete the unit evaluation survey.
Congratulations on completing this unit. Don’t forget to check your unit enrolments for next term.
Presentation Due: Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Nil.
Chapter
Nil.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Nil.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
As this unit is offered online, 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 Workplace Project
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to demonstrate an applied understanding of clinical governance in your workplace.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit's 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. This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. No Generative AI use is permitted in the completion of this assignment. You must not use AI tools or technology to produce substantive content. You are permitted to use technology or tools that assist with spelling, grammar or formatting.
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.
Extensions
Extensions to this assessment are available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period does apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
- To achieve a passing grade for this unit you are required to pass this assessment item. You must achieve a minimum grade of 49.5% to pass this assessment.
- In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 7 Wednesday (29 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment in Microsoft Word format only.
Week 10 Wednesday (20 May 2026)
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, the "Return to Students Information" is an approximate date.
Assessment criteria will be available on the Moodle site.
- Explain the concept of clinical governance and justify its relevance to the clinical setting and nursing practice.
- Apply a framework derived from the National Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to evaluate clinical governance in a clinical setting.
- Explain the use of clinical audits as part of a quality improvement cycle to improve nursing practice and patient care.
2 Presentation
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your applied understanding of clinical audits, and the associated quality standards, as part of the quality improvement cycle in your clinical setting.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on on the unit's 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.
This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. CQUniversity Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft CoPilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly. You are permitted to use technology or tools that assist with spelling, grammar or formatting.
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.
Extensions
Extensions to this assessment are available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period may apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
- To achieve a passing grade for this unit you are required to pass this assessment item. You must achieve a minimum grade of 49.5% to pass this assessment.
- In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Students in partnered program: Assessment date is as arranged by Graduate Coordinator; Submit your PowerPoint presentation to Moodle by the due date. Students in non-partnered pathway: Submit your assessment in Microsoft PowerPoint format only, to Moodle by the due date.
Exam Week Wednesday (10 June 2026)
Students will receive the results of their assessment, shortly after their oral presentation, from either their Graduate Coordinator or the Unit Coordinator
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.
- Apply a framework derived from the National Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to evaluate clinical governance in a clinical setting.
- Explain the use of clinical audits as part of a quality improvement cycle to improve nursing practice and patient care.
- Identify deviations from best practice and discuss areas for improvement.
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?
