Unit Synopsis
This unit introduces you to the important role of communication in nursing practice and strategies to effectively communicate as a nurse. You will explore types of communication and communication strategies that are relevant to different health contexts, including mental health. Oral, electronic, and written communication skills, including effective listening, therapeutic relationships, and the importance of cultural and diversity awareness when undertaking care, will be explained in this unit. In particular, you will examine your own strengths in communication and how you can utilise these to manage future clinical challenges. Throughout this unit, you will review the relationship between communication and professional conduct, reflecting on key components and considerations in nursing communication within the interdisciplinary health care team.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 1 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Must be enrolled in CL91 Bachelor of Nursing or CG41 Start Uni Now. 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Online Quiz(zes) | 40% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 60% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web 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.
Source: Staff feedback Student Feedback - Email, SUTE
Increased staff workload due to Moodle error while registering student groups.
This resulted in an increased staff workload. Remove compulsory group work for assignments for term 2.
Compulsory assessment groupwork was removed. More flexible group work was encouraged with assessments being provided that students could work on individually.
Source: Student feedback - Verbal, Email, SUTE
Students felt group work assisted in deeper learning and understanding on the content.
Students in term 2 will be encouraged to form groups to continue to receive this benefit.
Study groups were encouraged with a virtual study tree available for students to meet and form groups within the unit.
Source: Student feedback - SUTE, Verbal, Email
Students felt the portfolio focused on too much reflection.
Portfolio tasks changed from practical activities in groups and individual reflection to theoretical individual activities.
Assessment One changed to short task questions and Assessment Two changed to more practical activities from a response to stimuli with individual reflection.
Source: Feedback from Unit Coordinators, Student feedback.
Remove re-attempts and continue the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) early intervention support model.
Students who score below 50% on Assessment One to continue to be offered targeted support via ALC referral rather than completing a re attempt.
In Progress
Source: Feedback from Students, Markers and Unit Coordinators.
Student assessments were impacted due to multiple assessments due at the same time.
Assessment mapping will occur across Term 1 units to limit overlapping deadlines and reduce workload pressure for both students and markers.
In Progress
Source: Student and Unit Coordinator feedback.
Continue individual assessments with supported collaborative learning.
Given the noted positive impact on student satisfaction and academic performance, assessments will remain as individual tasks. Collaborative learning will continue through workshops and online tutorials to encourage peer discussion and shared problem solving.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Explore the fundamental role of communication in nursing practice as informed by professional standards.
- Explain communication strategies that enable effective professional relationships.
- Determine communication strategies to facilitate effective communication in individual and group contexts.
- Examine your communication strengths and identify communication strategies you may consider for future nursing practice.
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 (NMBA) Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice
Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships
Maintains the capability for practice
Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice
Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Nursing Code of Conduct
Person-centred practice
Cultural practice and respectful relationships
Professional behaviour
Health and wellbeing
International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses
Nurses and People
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
Partnering with consumers
Comprehensive care
Communicating for safety
Nurses and Practice
Patient Safety Competency Framework
Person-centred care
Therapeutic communication
Cultural competence
Teamwork and collaborative practice
Evidence-based practice
Preventing, minimising and responding to adverse events
Nurses and the Profession
Aged Quality Care Standards
The individual
The organisation
The care and services
The environment
Clincal care
Food and nutrition
The residential community
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | |
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | • | |
| 5 - Team Work | • | • | • | • |
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | • | • | |
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | • | • | • |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |