Overview
Professional skills and knowledge related to clinical competence in areas such as high dependency, critical care and emergency nursing.
This paper is based on the application of a series of objectives. These encompass attitudes, personal and interpersonal skills, cultural safety, the application of knowledge, problem-solving skills and technical competence. The student will apply theoretical learning within their practice context. Students will also use practice experience to develop new or refine existing nursing knowledge in the high-acuity clinical setting. The concept of high-acuity nursing is recognised as applying across a range of settings and is considered in relation to each student's area of practice, as well as acknowledgment of general principles and universal application.
Study requires the student to demonstrate integrated knowledge at an advanced level in line with the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) nurse practitioner (NP) domains of competency. The intention is for the student to develop and apply new knowledge and understanding and to relate this to their individual area of practice. The notion of clinical practice as scholarship is an underpinning of the paper.
About this paper
| Paper title | Nursing - Critical Care & High Acuity |
|---|---|
| Subject | Nursing |
| EFTS | 0.25 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (Distance learning) |
| Delivery mode | The Distance Learning offering of this paper is a combination of remote and in-person teaching, and involves in-person assessment |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $3,353.00 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- NURX 411
- Limited to
- MAdvNP, MHealSc, PGCertHealSc, PGDipHealSc
- Eligibility
The applicant will:
- Have registration as a nurse from a three-year programme or course, congruent with the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act 2003.
- Hold a current Practising Certificate.
- Contact
- nursingstudies.uoc@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- Teaching staff
Convenor: Dr Patrice Rosengrave
Co-convenor Paddy Holbrook paddy.holbrook@otago.ac.nz
- Paper Structure
- This paper is designed to allow the individual to explore the high-acuity aspects of their own area of practice. Students come from a range of backgrounds, which necessitates the provision of generic information that students are expected to then adapt for use in their specific situations. The course materials presented on the study block days cover the theoretical components of the paper, including discussion around socio-political and cultural matters, defining scope of practice, and drawing on clinical experts to present elements related to specific disease processes and pathophysiology.
- Teaching Arrangements
This Distance Learning paper is a combination of remote and in-person teaching.
Three 2-day study blocks and additional online and self-directed study.
Enrolment information and course documentation will be sent to students two weeks prior to the start date of the first study block.
- Textbooks
Recommended textbook for this paper are:
Aitken, L., Marshall, A., & Buckley, T. (2024). Critical Care Nursing (5th ed.). Elsevier Australia.
Urden, L. D., Urden, L. Diann. S., Kathleen M. Lough, M. E. U., Linda Diann, editor. S., Kathleen M., editor. L., & E., M. (2022). Critical care nursing: diagnosis and management (9th edition). Elsevier
Wagner, K.D., & Hardin-Pierce, M.G. (2018). High-acuity nursing (7th ed). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Ltd.
You are also expected to have available an advanced health assessment text, such as:
Bickley, L. S., Szilagyi, P. G., & Hoffman, R. M. (2021). Bates’ guide to physical examination and history taking (R. P. Soriano, Ed.; Thirteenth edition). Wolters Kluwer
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will:
- Utilise interpretive and technical expertise in differential diagnosis to manage complex conditions in high-acuity clinical environments.
- Enhance understanding of anatomy, physiology, and behavioural sciences to inform and improve the application of critical care/high acuity nursing principles.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply advanced assessment skills in complex clinical scenarios, showing proficiency in collecting and synthesising relevant patient data.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply pathophysiology and pharmacology knowledge within their specialised area of nursing practice in critical care and high acuity contexts.
- Contribute effectively within the high acuity / multi-disciplinary team.
- Demonstrate the application of cultural safety principles in nursing practice, in alignment with the Nursing Council of New Zealand’s policies and guidelines and the University's commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi.
- Develop skills for research utilisation that are suitable for implementing evidence-based practice, with the aim of achieving excellence in clinical care delivery and patient outcomes.
- Develop documentation skills to accurately record and communicate clinical data and treatment interventions.
- Utilise critical thinking skills to analyse complex clinical situations and articulate clear rationales for nursing interventions, fostering evidence-based decision-making and patient-centred care.
- Contribute to preventive and health promotion strategies to enhance patient outcomes in high-acuity situations.
- Demonstrate the ability to synthesise clinical and theoretical knowledge to inform best practices in high acuity nursing.