Postgraduate - Edith Cowan University

NFS5101 20 Credit Points
Forensic Mental Health Nursing
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Forensic psychiatric nursing has developed rapidly over the past
two decades and is now a fast growing sub-speciality within
mainstream mental health services. The development of specialist
services and recognition that mentally disordered offenders have
special needs has highlighted the necessity for specific training in
this area. Understanding the development of forensic psychiatry,
both nationally and internationally, will help to identify how
services have evolved and what the role of the forensic psychiatric
nurse is. Legal and ethical issues are important to forensic nurses
and have an impact on their day to day work, so need to be given
due consideration. Understanding offending behaviour and mental
disorders encountered in forensic psychiatry will assist in
providing meaningful assessments and treatment interventions.
NFS5102 20 Credit Points
Assessment of Mentally Disordered Offenders
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Prerequisite :
NFS5101 Forensic Mental Health Nursing
Assessment is an important component of forensic nursing
practice. Assessments in forensic settings are used to determine
the patient’s level of mental, physical and social functioning. In
this Unit a range of assessment instrument and approaches to
assessment are presented and applied to the Forensic Mental
Health Nurse. General principles of assessment applied to forensic
mental health nursing, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
and the WHO-DAS assessment scale in a forensic mental health
setting. Modules six and seven outline the factors to consider
when assessing aggressive or dangerous patients. Assessing
suicide and self-harm in prison and forensic mental health settings
is covered in Module eight. Another focus of the Unit is
educational and vocational training of mentally disordered
offenders, this is covered in Modules nine and ten. Aboriginal and
Torres Straight Islander people are over-represented in the
criminal justice system. It is also becoming recognised that
indigenous people require special considerations when delivering
mental health care. Accordingly, Module eleven focuses on the
mental health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders.
Court Diversion Programs are an important part of forensic
mental health and will be covered in Modules twelve and thirteen.
Increasingly mentally disordered offenders are being managed in
the community. Module fourteen presents a brief introduction to
forensic community nursing. The final Module discusses some of
the factors to consider when evaluating assessment instruments
and summarises the Unit.
NFS5103 20 Credit Points
Forensic Nursing Intervention and Skills
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Prerequisite :
NFS5102 Assessment of Mentally Disordered Offenders
This unit examines the principles and practice which guide the
planning and delivery of our nursing interventions whose
treatment and rehabilitation goals are met within secure forensic
or correctional treatment settings. The unit will build upon the
principles explored in assessing the healthcare needs of mentally
disordered offenders. In particular, the unit examines the
planning, delivery and evaluation of a range of nursing
intervention strategies aimed at assisting forensic patients to
achieve a more positive adjustment to their disorder.
NNI5101 20 Credit Points
Professional Issues in Clinical Nursing
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will advance students' understanding of contemporary
issues that influence nursing practice and their application to
speciality areas. The theoretical frameworks for advanced nursing
practice, including ethical and legal decision making and scope of
advanced practice will be explored. National and international
health care trends, policy development and health services
relevant to the population will be examined.
NNI5102 20 Credit Points
Psychosocial Issues Related to Life Threatening Illness
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will enable students to explore psychosocial issues
confronting individuals and their families experiencing life
threatening illness, death and bereavement. The role of the nurse
in providing clinically integrated psychosocial care, and
approaches to preserving personal well-being will be covered.
Emphasis will be placed on developing timely nursing
interventions aimed at preventing longer term psychosocial
morbidity.
NNI5103 20 Credit Points
Nursing Issues in Gerontology
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will examine normal age related changes to physical
and psychological health and commonly experienced deviations
from healthy ageing. Nursing assessments of elderly people and
relevant nursing interventions and approaches to care will be
addressed from a practical and a theoretical perspective. Students
require access to a computer and modem capable of accessing
online resources.
NNI5120 15 Credit Points
Context of Nurse Led Triage
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will provide students with underpinning knowledge
required to work in healthcare call centres. Covered will be: the
history of consultation and triage from a national and international
perspective, the nature of the service, the context of practice from
a local and national perspective. Legal and ethical issues including
accountability, rationing, resource allocation, critical reflective
practice, professional judgment and clinical decision making will
be explored. Professional identity/clinical reasoning influences on
decision making, together with issues of culture, age, ethnicity,
and triage categories, referral and clinical discriminators will be
addressed.
NNI5121 15 Credit Points
Applied Nurse Led Telephone Triage and Consultation
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will enable students to gain and develop underpinning
knowledge and relevant skills necessary to provide consistent
professional, safe, and effective triage and telephone consultation.
Students will focus on the development of practical clinical skills
when using computer assisted decision making software.
NNI5122 15 Credit Points
Health Promotion and Chronic Conditions
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will provide students with knowledge and insights into
aspects of health promotion and an ability to review and manage
chronic pain and chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, arthritis, cancer,
neurological conditions, emphysema, congestive cardiac failure,
hypertension and angina, etc.) It will also facilitate insights into
aspects of health promotion (e.g. STD risk reduction, smoking
cessation, weight loss, healthy eating, sun safety, engagement in
exercise and promotion of a healthy life-style).
NNI5123 15 Credit Points
Emergency Management and Care Review
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will provide students with an opportunity to review their
knowledge and skills in relation to the management of a wide
variety of emergency situations.
NNS5100 20 Credit Points
Advanced Nursing Science 1
FACULTY OF COMPUTING, HEALTH AND SCIENCE
This unit will enable students to develop their knowledge of
normal homeostatic mechanisms and the pathophysiological basis
of diseases or injuries relevant to their chosen clinical specialty.
Biological concepts and maladaptive physiological processes will
be examined to develop clinical decision making and problem
solving skills.
ECU Postgraduate Course Guide 2008 285