Unit Synopsis
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
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 2 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 1 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2027
Term 1 - 2027 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
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.
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: SUTE Data
I really enjoyed the variety of learning resources provided, especially the addition of podcasts.
Enhance student learning by continuing to integrate diverse resources into the weekly modules. Additionally, introduce weekly podcasts featuring industry experts to foster engagement and offer authentic insights into the nursing profession.
We continued to integrate weekly podcasts into the unit, featuring industry experts to provide authentic clinical insights and enhance engagement. Interactive weekly tutorials were maintained and further developed to reinforce lecture content, encourage peer discussion, and promote active learning. These initiatives ensured that students had multiple avenues to engage with content in ways that suited their learning preferences and schedules.
Source: Self-reflection
The 2024 Assessment 2 was not well received by the student cohort and, at times, was unnecessarily confusing.
Review and update Assessment 2 to ensure it aligns with the prescribed Learning Outcomes and is tailored to effectively meet the needs of the student cohort. Additionally, ensure that the task and rubric are closely matched to provide clear and consistent guidance for student performance.
Assessment 2 was redesigned into a structured case study format with clear, scenario-based questions directly aligned to the prescribed Learning Outcomes. The rubric was revised to match the task requirements, and marking guides were updated to support consistency. These changes improved clarity for students and the marking team, contributing to an increase in student satisfaction with this assessment in 2025, as reflected in both formal SUTE feedback and informal student comments.
Source: 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.
In Progress
Source: 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.
In Progress
Source: 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.
In Progress
Source: 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.
In Progress
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.