NURS12163 - Chronic Health and Community Care

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will examine chronic health conditions that may affect people across the lifespan. You will learn to recognise symptoms that commonly lead to an exacerbation or worsening of a chronic health condition. Taking into consideration individual socio-cultural and lifestyle choices, you will assist people living with a chronic health condition to implement self-management strategies and develop care plans from a person-centred, community, family and health care service perspective to minimise exacerbations. You will develop a discharge/education plan utilising aspects of behavioural change, psychosocial support and health literacy aimed at effecting change and supporting a person's self-management of chronic illness taking into consideration the roles of other members of the interdisciplinary care team.

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:

NURS12161 Professional Experience Placement 2 or NURS12156 Clinical Practice 2

BIOH12011 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 1 or BIOH11006 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology and NURS12154 Pharmacology for Nursing Practice.

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 - 2025

Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Brisbane
Online
Rockhampton
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Brisbane
Online
Rockhampton

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).

Assessment Overview

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) 20%
2. Written Assessment 30%
3. Written Assessment 50%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 57.89% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 13.95% response rate.

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
Feedback
The weekly Moodle tiles are set out well, and they are really easy to navigate. Working through the content for the week and having Zoom on a Friday morning fit in well with the work situation. This subject is very helpful, and I have learned much about chronic health.
Recommendation
Moodle structure will remain the same with Zoom sessions at the end of the week to consolidate learning and give students the time to complete/review the content.
Action Taken
The weekly Moodle tiles were well-organised and user-friendly, making it easy for students to navigate the content. The structure allowed students to work through learning material at their own pace, with Zoom sessions on Friday mornings fitting well into work schedules. Feedback highlighted that this setup was effective in supporting learning, particularly in exploring chronic health topics. To build on this success, the Moodle structure will remain unchanged, ensuring clear navigation and access to weekly content. Zoom sessions will continue to be scheduled at the end of the week, providing an opportunity to consolidate learning, address questions, and review the learning material. This approach supports flexibility and maximises student engagement with the content, aligning with their learning and professional commitments.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Thank you for the knowledge and the support the team have given to students.
Recommendation
UCs and teaching staff will continue to support and encourage students to succeed.
Action Taken
To maintain this positive impact, unit coordinators will continue to offer dedicated support, provide encouragement, and guidance to students. Actions included maintaining regular communication through timely responses to queries, providing constructive feedback on assessments, and creating a supportive learning environment. Additionally, unit coordinators will continue to actively engage with students during Zoom sessions, online discussion forums, and one-on-one consultations to address individual needs and challenges. This ongoing commitment ensures that students remain motivated and well-equipped to achieve their academic and professional goals upon completion of the unit.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Assignments needed clearer instructions and alignment with associated documentation.
Recommendation
Assessments and relatable documentation will continue to be reviewed by DDLT as per school policy.
Action Taken
Following school policy, the DDLT has overseen the review process, ensuring assessments met the academic standards and were effectively structured. New assessments were developed to better support student understanding and engagement, with clear instructions and relevant documentation provided. This proactive approach improved the overall learning experience.
Source: Students
Feedback
"The teaching team challenged me to think and question. Provided valuable feedback, created an inclusive environment, connected content to real-world applications and encouraged students to interact. They showed passion and enthusiasm for the discipline."
Recommendation
UCs and teaching teams will continue to provide valuable feedback, create an inclusive environment and use real-world scenarios to apply knowledge and engage students.
Action Taken
To maintain and build on this success, unit coordinators will continue to prioritise these practices. Actions taken include refining feedback processes to ensure they are actionable and personalised, enhancing inclusivity through diverse teaching strategies, and integrating more real-world scenarios into the curriculum to deepen nursing knowledge application.
Source: Coordinator
Feedback
Confusion regarding different documents related to the assessments.
Recommendation
Assessments and relatable documentation will continue to be reviewed by DDLT as per school policy.
Action Taken
To address the confusion regarding documents related to assessments, all assessments and their supporting documentation was thoroughly reviewed and streamlined. This process, was overseen by the DDLT in accordance with school policy, ensured alignment between assessment instructions and associated materials. Key actions included consolidating and clarifying assessment instructions to reduce redundancy and ambiguity, and providing students with clear, centralised guidelines. Updates were communicated to students to ensure they were aware of any changes. These measures aimed to enhance understanding, minimise confusion, and support students in effectively engaging with the assessment tasks.
Source: SUTE feedback.
Feedback
Students expressed satisfaction with the quick responses from unit coordinators and the engagement provided by the discussion forums. These elements helped foster a supportive learning environment and encouraged active participation, which contributed positively to their understanding of managing chronic health conditions.
Recommendation
To build on this positive feedback, it is recommended to continue prioritising timely responses from unit coordinators and maintaining active discussion forums. Additionally, exploring ways to further enhance interactive elements such as case studies or peer-led discussions could deepen student engagement and practical understanding. Consider incorporating more real-life scenarios related to chronic illness management to complement the learning materials and workshops.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE feedback.
Feedback
Students reported that assessment expectations were unclear, with inconsistencies between rubrics, task sheets, and verbal/written instructions from teaching staff. This led to confusion and reduced confidence in how to approach assessments.
Recommendation
Undertake a comprehensive review and refinement of all assessment-related documentation to ensure clarity and consistency across rubrics, task instructions, and supplementary assessments. To further support student understanding, consider implementing structured pre-assessment support, such as live Q&A sessions and/or recorded video walkthroughs of the assessment. These resources should clearly explain expectations and how assessment criteria will be applied.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE feedback.
Feedback
Students expressed that cultural content was heavily weighted toward rural and Indigenous perspectives, which they valued, but felt that urban and suburban contexts were underrepresented and needed more integration.
Recommendation
While continuing to prioritise cultural safety and Indigenous health, expand the range of clinical scenarios to include urban, suburban, and culturally diverse settings. This broader representation will ensure the unit content reflects the full spectrum of nursing practice environments and better prepares students to deliver person-centred care across varied population groups.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Student feedback
Feedback
Some students felt disengaged due to a perceived lack of new or challenging content, stating that much of the material repeated concepts covered in other units without adding significant depth.
Recommendation
Review and update unit learning materials to include real-world perspectives on chronic care. Embed current clinical evidence and patient scenarios to boost clinical relevance, foster critical thinking, and maintain strong student engagement.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Identify factors associated with the early recognition of an acute exacerbation of a chronic health condition and plan relevant nursing care
  2. Evaluate interventions to influence socio-cultural and lifestyle choices of individuals
  3. Incorporate the lived experience of a person with a chronic health condition when collaboratively planning care
  4. Develop a collaborative discharge/education plan for a consumer who has a health challenge associated with the National Health Priority Areas (NHPA).

Content in this unit incorporates a number of professional nursing requirements

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Registered Nurse Standards for Practice

Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice

Maintains the capability for practice

Develops a plan for nursing practice

Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Nursing Code of Conduct

Legal compliance

Person-centred practice

Cultural practice and respectful relationships

Professional behaviour

Research in health

Health and wellbeing

International Council of Nursing Code of Ethics for Nursing

Nurses and People

Nurses and Practice

Nurses and the Profession

Nurses and co-workers

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

Clinical governance

Partnering with consumers

Preventing and Controlling healthcare-associated infection

Medication safety

Comprehensive care

Communicating for safety

Recognising and responding to acute deterioration

Patient Safety Competency Framework

Person-centred care

Therapeutic communication

Cultural competence

Teamwork and collaborative practice

Clinical reasoning

Evidence-based practice

Preventing, minimising and responding to adverse events

Infection prevention and control

Medication safety

Aged Care Quality Standards

Consumer dignity and choice

Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers

Services and supports for daily living

Organisation’s service environment

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
2 - Written Assessment • • •
3 - Written Assessment • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • •
8 - Ethical practice •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10