Overview
This unit builds on the unit NURS20171 Nursing and Professional Practice 1 by extending your nursing knowledge and skills to further develop your professional confidence and competence in managing complex patient care. You will be able to validate your nursing judgements and clinical decisions through critical thinking and professional reflection. You will role model and implement professional attributes in the application of advanced clinical skills including assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of nursing and collaborative interventions; and effectively communicate with patients and the multidisciplinary healthcare team, patients and families to improve person-centred care and health outcomes. This unit will be directly applicable to the clinical setting where you are employed.
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. Pre-requisite: NURS20171 Nursing and Professional Practice 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 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 Unit evaluation.
Students requested more meaningful assessment feedback.
Feedback will be provided using both written and oral formats. Teachers will provide instructions for learners on how to access recorded feedback during tutorials.
Feedback from Unit evaluation.
Clarity of course resources.
Course resources will be reviewed.
- Identify and demonstrate positive role modelling of professional attributes in your clinical specialty.
- Demonstrate advanced nursing skills in clinical assessment, planning and implementation of person-centred care, and the evaluation of evidence-informed nursing interventions in clinical settings.
- Demonstrate effective communication with patients, families, and the multidisciplinary healthcare team to facilitate safe, high-quality patient out.
- Reflect critically on your personal outputs and professionalism within your clinical setting and develop strategies aligning with professional standards to continue your professional development.
N/A.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 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 - 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
- Microsoft Word
- Wordprocessing, spreadsheeting and powerpoint software
- Endnote bibliographic software. This is optional for formatting references.
- Online access Australian Standards (through CQU Library)
- CQUniveristy Library Resources
- Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
- Zoom access
- CQU library search
- CQU library search tools
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.j.hall@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Welcome to the Unit
Specialty Practice & Registered Nurses Standards in Specialty Practice
Chapter
Familiarise yourself with Moodle
Review the online Zoom timetable and make roster requests as necessary.
Click on the link and learn about the Academic Learning Centre
Review the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Activity – Access the General Discussion page and introduce yourself to your colleagues by providing your name and workplace and some information about yourself.
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.
Set-up your CQU student emails so you receive current, up-to-date information.
Module/Topic
Registered nurse standards in Specialty Practice
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Access the library to prepare for Assessment 1
Review Moodle and Academic Learning Centre information
Module/Topic
Representing Professionalism in Specialties
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Census Date is next week. If you are struggling, please contact your Unit Coordinator for help.
Module/Topic
Issues Associated with Professional Practice
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Census Date – Tuesday Week 4
Module/Topic
Basics of Communication
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Module/Topic
Errors in Communication
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Reflective Practice Assignment Due: Week 6 Wednesday (15 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Relax or catch up on Assessments
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Nursing Documentation
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Commence 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.
Module/Topic
Electronic Communication
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Module/Topic
Cardiac Knowledge
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Module/Topic
Respiratory Knowledge
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Module/Topic
Renal Knowledge
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
Events and Submissions/Topic – please include ‘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
Neurological Knowledge
Chapter
Complete the readings and activities as outlined on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Announcement and Discussion Boards - Check for posts and updates and check your CQU student emails.
‘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’.
Written Assessment – Specialty Standards assessment Due: Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
As this unit is offered online (or face-to-face or hybrid or blended [NURS20172]), 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 Reflective Practice Assignment
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to reflect on an article about professional nursing practice (Kwame & Petrucka, 2021) in the context of your professional practice and analyse how you demonstrate effective communication and role model professionalism within your clinical work setting.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
1. 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.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
b. Checking spelling and grammar.
c. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
3. Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
Extensions
Available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period may apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
· In the event you are eligible for a supplementary assessment, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted
in this unit.
Week 6 Wednesday (15 Apr 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only
Week 8 Wednesday (6 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.
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.
- Identify and demonstrate positive role modelling of professional attributes in your clinical specialty.
- Demonstrate advanced nursing skills in clinical assessment, planning and implementation of person-centred care, and the evaluation of evidence-informed nursing interventions in clinical settings.
- Demonstrate effective communication with patients, families, and the multidisciplinary healthcare team to facilitate safe, high-quality patient out.
- Reflect critically on your personal outputs and professionalism within your clinical setting and develop strategies aligning with professional standards to continue your professional development.
2 Written Assessment
Aim
The aim of this assessment is for you to demonstrate how your professional practice meets the nursing standards of your chosen specialty.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
1. 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.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
b. Checking spelling and grammar.
c. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
3. Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
Extensions
Available as per policy. The 72-hour grace period may apply to this assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit.
· In the event you are eligible for a supplementary assessment, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted
in this unit.
Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
‘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’
Vacation/Exam Week Wednesday (17 June 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.
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned.
- Identify and demonstrate positive role modelling of professional attributes in your clinical specialty.
- Demonstrate advanced nursing skills in clinical assessment, planning and implementation of person-centred care, and the evaluation of evidence-informed nursing interventions in clinical settings.
- Demonstrate effective communication with patients, families, and the multidisciplinary healthcare team to facilitate safe, high-quality patient out.
- Reflect critically on your personal outputs and professionalism within your clinical setting and develop strategies aligning with professional standards to continue your professional development.
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?
