Welcome to Consolidation of Mental Health Nursing Practice, the last course in the Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing Program.

The course has been developed to encourage your learning within the overall themes of consolidating previous courses, and preparation for lifelong learning. Themes include skills and practices associated with knowledge development in practice, the application and evaluation of models of care, working in contexts of consumers experiencing co-morbidity, understanding legal contexts, and utilizing support and supervision in the workplace.

 

One important aspect of this course is an expectation that you reflect on your learning across the other three courses in the Graduate Diploma Program overall. You will need to apply the concepts, theories and practice skills that you have understood within ‘Perspectives in Mental Health Nursing’, ‘Theoretical Approaches to Mental Health Nursing Practice’, and ‘Skills for Recovery Practice in Mental Health Nursing’ to build a more sophisticated and reflexive knowledge base for your practice. At the same time, you will focus on some key contexts for clinical practice, including the issue of multiple morbidities, legal parameters specific to mental health care, and the role of professional support. You will be encouraged to think about mental health care in more macro terms. This includes content which identifies the impacts of mental health policy on consumer and carer experiences and a focus on evaluating service practices in terms of mental health outcomes. 

 

These above considerations are important for enhancing your sense of professional identity as a mental health professional. After all, mental health is now becoming known as ‘everybody’s business'. In this sense, I hope that your learning in the program will establish your role as an effective health professional in the specialised mental health sector, or as a leader of mental health within a generic health or welfare organisation.

 

The Course is made up of eight key topic areas. Each topic contains descriptive and analytic background and a range of learning activities for students. Key readings are listed referring to different fields of literature relating to the course and students engage in weekly topic discussion forums to share peer-to-peer knowledge and experience.

 

Getting Started
You will be expected to access relevant resources and material to support your study, participate in online Topic Discussion Forums, Zoom classrooms and engage in recorded presentations. We expect you to complete all the required readings in preparation for posting your responses to the online discussion forums. You can access your weekly readings from the link on your learnonline course homepage via 'eReadings' under 'Course Essentials' or from within each topic tab on the linked 'Parent' learnonline course site. Any questions you have about the course content should be directed in the first instance to the Course Coordinator via email. General course queries can be posted in the Student Forum.

Acknowledgements
Thank you to the consumers, carers and Professor Nicholas Procter, Chair of Mental health Nursing, UniSA, who assisted in the development of this course.

 

Course Coordinator: Dr Kate Rhodes

External mode includes online, distance education, industry placement or directed research. Virtual classrooms are deemed to be an external mode of delivery. External mode does not normally include a face to face component, however some courses offered in external mode may require a small component of on-campus activity, or practical sessions.

The expectations of your activity and preparation for each course will be aligned to the activity being undertaken. For example, if you are studying externally and there are virtual lectures, your preparation would be as listed under the lecture section of this guide.

You may also be supported through online facilitation, with preparation required, and other learning activities provided in your course, that will each have specific preparation requirements for you. These requirements should be set out in individual course guides.

Peer Interaction is usually included in UniSA courses in both external and internal modes of delivery and is considered a critical element of the learning process that may involve activities, projects, discussion forums, presentations, practicals, workshops.

Online facilitation

Student information

Online courses generally require students to independently read, view and/or work through all required materials, including pre-recorded presentations that have been produced and provided to facilitate this form of learning.

Independent online learning is supported by Online Facilitators who supplement online teaching resources by facilitating, monitoring and moderating online forums; answering student queries via virtual office hours or help desks, online dialogue and/or phone conversations, providing formative feedback on your work or explaining comments and marking of your prior work.

Students are expected to be familiar with all relevant course content, including materials provided and assessments, and engage appropriately with facilitators within the timeframes provided.

Staff information

Online facilitation by an academic may include monitoring online forums, hosting virtual office hours or help desks, online dialogue and/or phone conversations with students, providing formative feedback on a student’s work or explaining summative feedback/marks on prior work.

These activities do not generally require regular preparation time as there is not delivery, per se, but preparation time for course familiarisation may be required before and during the teaching period to ensure that the facilitator maintains knowledge and awareness of course materials, course content, assessment requirements and student progress.

 

Program Reception (Health & Nursing Students)

 

Physical Address:  Level 6, Room 54, Centenary Building (C)
North Terrace
City East
Adelaide 5000

 

Postal Address:  GPO Box 2471

Adelaide 5001

 

Phone:  +61 8 8302 1832
Fax:  +61 8 8302 2168
Email: NursingPostgraduate.ProgramsEnquiries@unisa.edu.au

There are no prerequisite courses to be completed before this course can be undertaken.

There are no corequisite courses to be completed in conjunction with this course.

To consolidate knowledge, skills and experience to demonstrate a holistic evidence based approach to mental health care.

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

CO1. Critically analyse and integrate contemporary theories and practices to respond appropriately to mental health consumers and promote recovery.

CO2. Demonstrate best practice in the provision of mental health care to diverse populations

CO3. Demonstrate the ability to anticipate and respond to consumers experiencing complex mental health problems, promoting recovery and resilience.

CO4. Synthesise knowledge of legal, ethical, biological, psychological and social factors into mental health care.

CO5. Critically evaluate the application and effectiveness of mental health models of care in various practice contexts.

CO6. Demonstrate competence as a mental health nurse

Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following combination of Graduate Qualities and Course Objectives:

A graduate of UniSA:

GQ1. operates effectively with and upon a body of knowledge of sufficient depth to begin professional practice

GQ2. is prepared for life-long learning in pursuit of personal development and excellence in professional practice

GQ3. is an effective problem solver, capable of applying logical, critical, and creative thinking to a range of problems

GQ4. can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a professional

GQ5. is committed to ethical action and social responsibility as a professional and citizen

GQ6. communicates effectively in professional practice and as a member of the community

GQ7. demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen

Contemporary mental health theories and practices; recovery focused care; trauma informed care; clinical supervision; working with clients with complex care needs and comorbidities; working with clients from diverse social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds; promoting inter-professional and cross organisational practice relationships; delivering comprehensive coordinated person centred care; professional legal and ethical frameworks and standards; evidence based mental health practice ; critically reflective practice; quality use of medicines in the multi-disciplinary context; clinical competence in mental health practice

9 units

This course will involve the production of audio and/or video recordings of UniSA students. To protect student privacy, you must not at any time disclose, reproduce or publish these recordings, or related material, in the public domain including online, unless the videoed students give consent for reproduction, disclosure or publication. This requirement is consistent with University statutes, by-laws, policies, rules and guidelines which you agreed to abide by when you signed the Student Enrolment Declaration.

Prior to the commencement of clinical placement in this Course, please ensure the requirements in the following list have been completed in advance. Please refer to 'Placement information' under the 'Clinical Competency Evaluation' heading in this Course Outline for more placement details, and to the 'Course Calendar' at the end of the Course Outline for placement dates.

Compulsory Pre-placement Conditional Evidence requirements as outlined by the Clinical Placement Unit:
All students undertaking Graduate Diploma Mental Health Nursing placements are required to obtain the following pre-placement conditional evidence requirements and upload the documents to InPlace (UniSA student placement system). These are a University requirement, irrespective of the nature of your employment within the mental health field. Failure to submit these mandatory requirements will result in the delay and possible exclusion from your clinical placement course.

CONDITIONAL EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCE INFORMATION

• Department of Human Services (DHS) Working With Children Check* (Valid for 5 years) *Formerly Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) Child-related Employment Screening Check (Valid for 3 years). Details and access to the online application are available at: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/health/cpu/responsibilities/criminal-history/#NCHRC
• National Police Certificate (NPC) (Valid for 3 years) Details available at: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/health/cpu/responsibilities/criminal-history/#NPC Consent & Authority to Release Information Form (Expiry matching NPC form) Details available at: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/health/cpu/forms/
• Sunrise EMR (Electronic Medical Record) Training (Valid for 12 months) formerly EPAS (Enterprise Patient Administration System). Complete online UniSA Sunrise EMR training module at: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/enrol/index.php?id=4344
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Annual Update (Valid for 1 year) Details available at: http://i.unisa.edu.au/students/health/cpu/responsibilities/first-aid/
• Immunisation Requirements for Placement Package: Certificate of Compliance (Valid on Program Entry) Details available at: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/health/cpu/responsibilities/immunisation/ Complete the Health Care Worker Immunisation Screening Questionnaire.
• SA Health Deed Poll (Complete once only) Deed Poll available at: https://i.unisa.edu.au/siteassets/students/health/documents/cpu/sa-health-deed-poll.pdf Read and complete the SA Health Deed Poll.

You will need continual access to the following text(s) to complete this course. Where possible the Library will make the book available for student use. Please check the Library catalogue before purchasing the book(s). The Library will always seek to purchase resources that allow an unlimited number of concurrent users, however availability is dependent on license arrangements with book publishers and platforms. http://www.library.unisa.edu.au

Edward, K.-l., Munro, I. L., Welch, A. J., & Cross W. (2018). Mental Health Nursing: Dimensions of Praxis (3rd). Oxford University Press.

Geldard, D. Geldard, K. and Yin Foo, R. (2016). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors (8th ed). Cengage Learning.

Jacobs, E. Schimmel, C.J. Masson, R.L. and Harvill, R.L. (2016). Group counselling: Strategies and skills (8th ed). Cengage Learning.

The suggested text for Health students also undertaking this course that may be useful is:

Hungerford, C., Hodgson, D., Bostwick, R. C., Murphy, G., de Jong, G., & Ngune, I. 2018. Mental health care (3 ed.). QLD, Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. https://find.library.unisa.edu.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay vid=UNISA&id=9916250409501831

Please note this book is available as an eBook when you log in to the Library website, however, since limited licences are available for viewing at any one time you may wish to purchase an e-copy or hard copy for continued access. http://www.library.unisa.edu.au

All course related materials can be accessed through your learnonline course site which you will be able to access from the my Courses section in myUniSA.

All study related materials can be accessed through: https://my.unisa.edu.au

Each week students will find their required topic readings via the learnonline 'Parent' site or via the eReadings link in Course Essentials on your course homepage.

Details of assessment submission and return are listed under each assessment task. Assessment tasks will be returned to you within two to three weeks of submission.

 

Cover sheets

 

A cover sheet is not required for assessment tasks submitted via learnonline, as the system automatically generates one.

 

If the Course Coordinator allows submissions in hard copy format, you will be required to attach an Assignment Cover Sheet which is available on the learnonline student help (https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1843&chapterid=567) and in myUniSA.

 

The feedback proforma is available on your course site.

10% Weighting. Due each Topic week. 'Record of Online Posts' 1500 words in total, word limit is 300 words per topic post. Due 30th October 2020 

Students are expected to engage in the online discussion forums on the learnonline site during each topic week. You will be introduced to each topic and directed to the online resources and readings for that particular topic. You are expected to read the readings before engaging in the the activities and reflective questions. You are then required to upload your response to the respective topic discussion forum by Friday at 5 pm of each topic week (Final post due Friday 30th October at 5 pm). Each post should be written in an academic format and contain 1 to 3 academic references using the Harvard referencing style unless a reflective statement is made. Posts should demonstrate consolidation of knowledge gained from the previous Courses in the overall Program and also from the topics addressed in this Course. Word length is 300 words per topic post. The topic forum discussions are intended to give each student the opportunity to learn not only from the module material but also from lecturer/s and peers.

 

Please note the University Guidelines for Online Discussion and Netiquette. You are expected to follow these: Netiquette link https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1842&chapterid=34088

 

Participation is worth 10% of the overall grade and will be based on performance in the online Topic Discussion Forums.

 

Assessment Task 

Online Activities requirements for grading:
 Across the duration of the study period students are required to complete the following:

1. Initiate 3 posts to 3 different online topic forums of their choice. Each post should be up to 300 words and demonstrate that the student has undertaken the relevant course readings and activities.

2. Submit 2 posts to the online topic forums up to 300 words that critically respond to posts by other students. These critical responses must be to 2 different topics than those addressed as per point 1 above. They should also demonstrate that the student has undertaken the relevant course readings and activities. Each student will therefore provide posts to a total of 5 topics of their choice.

3. Students are then required to submit their 'Record of Online Posts' to learnonline. On the due date for completion of the Online Activities, students must submit using the Word document TEMPLATE provided (please download at learnonline):
The 3 initiated posts including the topic they are addressing clearly identified, and the date and time of each post, and
The 2 critical responses to other students posts including the topic they are addressing, and the original post/s by the other student/s that they have responded to, including the date and time of each post.

Submission of your 'Record of Online Posts' is essential for this assessment - failure to submit using the Template provided will result in a 0% fail grade for this assessment task.

Additional Information

Formatting This assignment for grading must be written in an academic format and be appropriately referenced using the Harvard Referencing Style. References ought to be no earlier than 5 years unless you have found a significant reference by a foundational theorist which was published prior. Use Arial font size 10 or Times New Roman font size 12 with 1.5 or double spacing. Please write clearly, proof read and spell-check your assignment before submission. Please do not exceed the prescribed word limit by more than 10% or you will attract a penalty grade deduction.
Extension requests and resubmissions for this assignment are not permitted because it is due close to the last week of the study period and no further time can be granted. Late submission without an extension will result in a loss of 10 marks per day.
Feedback for this assignment will be provided via the appropriate Feedback form/rubric, a copy of which can be located via the learnonline homepage for this course. Please review this feedback form so that you are aware of how this assignment will be graded.
Assignment submission This assignment must be submitted via learnonline website by the due date. This assignment does not require a cover page; it will automatically be created when the assignment is downloaded by the Course Coordinator/Lecturer.
Academic integrity The assignment will automatically be processed via Turnitin software to check on level of plagiarism. You may wish to check on your assignment several hours after submission to check on the Turnitin assessment. You can delete and resubmit your assignment anytime up to the due date.
Note. Lecturers are aware that other students work will be cited in this assessment task resulting in the potential for higher than usual Turnitin scores and there are no penalties for this.

Student support UniSA has a range of free learning and support services which are available to students, both face to face and online. For more information or for an appointment to see a Learning Advisor or Counsellor see: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/.

Word Length: 1500 words (20% Weighting) Due Friday 14th August 2020 at 5:00 pm 

Aim: Students are expected to integrate previously learnt theories and concepts from Study Period 2 in the Graduate Diploma of Mental Health/Nursing Program when analyzing the case study shown in the video below. The main aim of the case study is to integrate the practical and theoretical aspects of your mental health clinical role and demonstrate how you would apply this to your professional practice.

Assessment Task

Critically analyse the specific issues in the case study video. Observe what impact these issues have on the person with a mental illness and their immediate family/carers. Apply your observations to complete parts a. and part b.:

1. Complete a Comprehensive Assessment using all of the same headings in the Comprehensive Assessment template document  (available  for download in the Assessments tab on the Course learnonline site). A thorough Mental State Examination (MSE) and Risk Assessment is required.
2. In the context of your professional practice, discuss the plan of mental healthcare for the consumer and the family/carers. Support your discussion with the theoretical applications of your approach/es.

The case study for this assignment is available by clicking on the WEB LINK:
Comprehensive Assessment Video: https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=759fb39e-e981-4d24-aeb3-ab6d0044fd70
This video runs for approximately 40 minutes. To complete this assignment you will be required to watch it several times and take notes of the important aspects of the clinical scenario presented. Students must demonstrate their clear understanding of the relevant theoretical perspectives and practical applications of clinical practice within the case study. Independent thinking, decision-making and analytical reasoning are essential to identify the salient aspects of the case study, and to explain how your practice can best meet the needs of the consumer and the family/carers. Do not hesitate to state your own opinions, and justify them with logical reasoning supported by academic references. Grades will be based upon the overall quality of your assignment.
Additional information:
Formatting This assignment must be written with the same headings in the Comprehensive Assessment template document. Writing must be in an academic format that is 1.5 or double spaced using Times Roman font size 12, or Arial font size 10, and be appropriately referenced using the Harvard referencing style. At least 20 references from current journal articles and/books are required. References ought to be no earlier than 5 years ago unless you have found a significant reference by a foundational theorist which was published prior. Please include headings, an introduction and conclusion. Please proof read and spell-check your assignment before submission. Please do not exceed or go below the prescribed word limit by more than 10% or you will attract a penalty grade deduction. Please refer to the current University's Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM) relating to the remarking and resubmission of assignments, for more information see: https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/.
Submission of Assignments This assignment must be submitted as a Word document via the learnonline website by the due date. This assignment does not require a cover page because these are automatically created when the assignment is downloaded by the lecturer marking.

Academic integrity The assignment will automatically be processed via Turnitin software to check on level of text-matching for plagiarism. Be sure to paraphrase any direct quotations from other sources to avoid high scores with text-matching and plagiarism. You may wish to review your assignment several hours after submission to check on the Turnitin assessment result. You can delete and resubmit your assignment anytime up to the due date.
Feedback for this assignment will be provided within your Word document as well as via the appropriate Feedback form/rubric, a copy of which can be located via the learnonline homepage for this course. Please review this feedback form so that you are aware of how this assignment will be graded.
Extension requests for this assignment must be submitted via the Extension link on the learnonline website no later than the day before the due date. Requests made in any other format will not be approved. Remember to include your supporting documentation (e.g., medical certificate/other evidence). More information about extension requests, re-submission, and grade appeals can be found in the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM) https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/. Late submission without an extension will result in a loss of 10 marks per day.
Student support UniSA has a range of free learning and support services which are available to students, both face to face and online. For more information or for an appointment to see a Learning Advisor or Counsellor see: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/. 

30 minutes (30% Weighting) Due in person via your compulsory Class Zoom Workshop 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Prepare an individual case study of a mental health consumer using PowerPoint and deliver at your your Class Zoom Workshop on the Class due date (see your Timetable in learnonline).
Assessment Task
Present a mental health consumer case study that:

1. describes a specific situation from your recent clinical context,

2. uses the Comprehensive Assessment Template headings to complete each section of the case study,

3. refers to the Program literature (e.g., Gibbs Reflective Cycle, Recovery Model) to reflect on the personal and professional changes that took place as a result of the situation that occurred, and

4. outlines the changes to consumer care in response to your reflective process.

Please ensure you have changed the consumers name (and their family) to respect their privacy and protect their identity.

Additional Information

The Comprehensive Assessment Template/form is located for download on the Assessments tab in learnonline. This case study must be developed using PowerPoint and presented in person on the allocated compulsory class Zoom Workshop date. All students have been allocated to a Workshop date according to class number so that an even distribution of individual presentations are conducted at each Workshop. Note that Workshop dates are set at the Start of the Study Period for your planning purposes. Please check your Timetable in learnonline in advance. Failure to attend and present at the allocated Workshop will result in a 0% fail grade for this assessment task.

General Information
Formatting This assignment must be written in an academic format and be appropriately referenced using the Harvard Referencing Style (6 to 10 references are recommended on the final slide). References ought to be no earlier than 5 years unless you have found a significant reference by a foundational theorist which was published prior. Please write clearly, proof read and spell-check your PowerPoint before submission. There is no set word length however, practicing timing presentations to 30 minutes several times beforehand is recommended.
Feedback for this assignment will be provided within the appropriate Feedback form/rubric, a copy of which can be located via the learnonline homepage for this course. Please review the feedback form so that you are aware of how this assignment will be graded.
Assignment submission The PowerPoint for this assignment must be submitted via learnonline the day before the class Zoom Workshop due date. This assignment does not require a cover page; it will automatically be created when the assignment is downloaded by the Course Coordinator/Lecturer.
Academic integrity The assignment will automatically be processed via Turnitin software to check on the level of plagiarism. You may wish to check on your assignment several hours after submission to check on the Turnitin assessment. You can delete and resubmit your assignment anytime up to the due date.
Extension requests are not possible for this assignment and must be delivered in person on the scheduled class Zoom Workshop date.
Re-submissions will not be accepted for this assessment task.

More information about general extension requests, re-submission, and grade appeals can be found in the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM) https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/ available on the university website.

Student support UniSA has a range of free learning and support services which are available to students, both face to face and online. For more information or for an appointment to see a Learning Advisor or Counsellor see: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/.

Clinical Competency Evaluation
Assessment 4

Placement Information: Nursing students are required to complete 150 hours of clinical placement with an appropriate competency based assessment using PebblePad online. Please see the PebblePad information and introductory videos available on the Course learnonline site under the Assessments tab. Information and instructions about clinical placement will be sent to your student email address during the first few weeks of the course from the Clinical Placement Unit (CPU).

Students must follow the instructions regarding the booking of clinical placements.

• If you are currently employed in a mental health setting, and intend to use this setting as a clinical placement you must provide full details of this to the Clinical Placement Unit.
• If you are not currently employed in a mental health setting, the CPU will make the necessary arrangements for your supernumerary clinical placement. However you must liaise with the CPU regarding your placement options and requirements that you must meet in order to complete your clinical placement.
• Interstate students – The CPU will endeavour to find an appropriate clinical placement experience for you. However although every effort is made to organise a placement which is in your geographical area, we are not always able to do this. In rare circumstances if an appropriate placement cannot be arranged this may necessitate interstate travel and accommodation in South Australia (if COVID19 restrictions permit).
• Please note - Failure to advise the CPU of clinical requirements by the due date may result in a non-graded fail for the course.

Clinical Facilitators - During your clinical experience the CPU will arrange for a Clinical Facilitator to assess your clinical competence whilst you are on clinical placement. Please note that the Clinical Facilitator will only be employed for four weeks during the clinical placement phase of this course. Clinical Facilitators are employed by the University for a set number of hours over the four week placement period. It is important to note that Clinical Facilitators may be staff members of the organization in which you are working and are contracted by the University for your facilitation. Alternatively they may be employed directly by the University. There is an important distinction between your Clinical Facilitator and staff who may precept you while one placement. Your Clinical Facilitator is responsible for ensuring your clinical assessment is completed in consultation with yourself and the preceptors and staff you work with. The Clinical Facilitator is also responsible for using PebblePad to provide the details of your assessment that will determine the final grade allocation by your Course Coordinator or Lecturer.

Policy statements applicable to courses with clinical placements:
In addition to the standard university policies, due to the inclusion of clinical placement as the delivery mode of this course, the University Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM) has particular relevance. Placements require students to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the University, while adhering to relevant professional code of ethics and demonstrating high standards of honesty, integrity and social responsibility. The University has a responsibility to ensure all students required to undertake a placement have the capacity to behave appropriately and without endangering themselves or others, or having a detrimental impact on the learning environment of the placement or the University. Attire should comply with OHS&W policy and should be professional. (i.e. neat clean attire, closed toed shoes, etc. Uniforms are not required). As part of this policy students need to adhere to the each of the following subsections of this policy: Pre-placement requirements – including but not limited to police checks, vaccinations, first-aid certificate requirements. Medical fitness and suitability for placement - Students may be required to present medical certification of fitness/suitability in order to undertake placement. See section 4.3 of the University Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual for full details.

Unsatisfactory performance in a placement, see Section 4.10 of the University Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual for full for details:
4.5.1 Unsatisfactory performance may include one or more of the following:
A. failure to meet the assessment requirements as detailed in the course outline and PebblePad
B. failure to adhere to the professional standards and workplace requirements of the placement provider
C. incomplete or late completion of placement documentation (e.g. journals, case notes etc) unless a prior extension has been agreed to by the Course Coordinator
D. failure to discuss critical incidents or issues of concern with the placement supervisor, Clinical Facilitator, or Course Coordinator.
4.5.2 Unsatisfactory performance on a placement may contribute to:
A. a final fail grade in a course that has a placement, or
B. a fail grade for the placement component of a course.

There is no secondary assessment for clinical placement with this course, as a consequence students who are unable to attend part or all of placement for any reason (illness, bereavement etc.) and are unable to demonstrate competence will receive a 'fail' or 'incomplete' grade.

Students are reminded that they must continue to demonstrate competence in the provision of nursing care against the National Scope of Practice (2013) and Standards of Practice (2016) for the registered nurse during their time as a student mental health nurse. Students are expected to maintain the professional standards expected of a registered nurse, ensuring accountability for their behaviour and practice that respects the rights of duty of care to self and the public. Students will report to the shift coordinator during their clinical placement and will continue to be supervised by the clinical staff they work with. It is expected that the university Clinical Facilitator will make contact with the student at the venue on a weekly basis to review their progress. Should a student be observed to be practicing below the standards expected of a registered nurse, the clinical venue or UniSA staff may remove the student from clinical placement for unsafe practice or inappropriate behaviour as outlined above. Should a students practice place the public at substantial risk of harm, it is the responsibility of all registered health practitioners, including university staff, to advise AHPRA of their concerns and to complete a mandatory notification.
A Clinical Challenge Contract may be offered to a student in response to an identified deficit related to their nursing practice whilst on clinical placement. The intent of the clinical challenge is to assist the student to recognize areas of identified clinical deficit or inappropriate behaviours, so that they can focus on improving their practice in those areas. The student will be placed on a clinical challenge for one week to give them an opportunity to improve their performance to assist in successfully completing the placement and avoiding a fail grade for the course. Only one clinical challenge contract can be offered in a course and if the student fails this clinical challenge, a fail grade will be recorded for the course. Further information about clinical placement policies and procedures can be found at: http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/2014/S4PracticumFielDandClinicalPlacements_2014.pdf

Student support UniSA has a range of free learning and support services which are available to students, both face to face and online. For more information or for an appointment to see a Learning Advisor or Counsellor see: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/.

See above under Assessment details.

Additional information
Format

All assignments must be written in an academic format that is 1.5 or double spaced using Times Roman font size 12, or Arial font size 10, and be appropriately referenced using the Harvard referencing style. Please proof read and spell-check your assignment before submission. Please do not exceed or go below the prescribed word limit by more than 10% or you will attract a penalty grade deduction. Late assignments submitted without extensions may receive a fail grade. Please refer to the University's Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/ relating to the remarking and resubmission of assignments.

All assignment must be submitted via the course learnonline website by the due date. Assignments do not require a cover page because these are automatically created when the assignment is downloaded by the lecturer marking.

Assignments will automatically be processed via Turnitin software to check on the level of plagiarism. You may wish to review your assignment several hours after submission to check on the Turnitin assessment. You can delete and resubmit your assignment anytime up to the due date.

Feedback for assignments is provided via the appropriate Feedback form, copies of which can be downloaded from the learnonline website for this course. Please review all feedback form rubrics so that you are aware of how assignments will be graded. In some instances feedback will also be provided within your submitted document. Turnaround time for graded assignments is three weeks according to policy, however, in most instances marking occurs earlier than this. Please check for an announcement from your Course Coordinator on the News Forum when grades have been released for each assessment task.

Extension requests for assignments must be submitted via the Extension link on the learnonline website before the due date. Remember to include your supporting documentation (e.g., medical certificate/other evidence). More information about extension requests can be found in the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/. Requests made in any other format, or without supporting documentation will not be approved.

Return of assessment tasks are generally within the three-week turnaround period according to policy if not beforehand.

This course does not have an exam.

Variation to exam arrangements does not apply to this course.

Supplementary assessment or examination has not been approved for this course.

All students must adhere to the University of South Australia's policies about assessment:
http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/.

All students must gain a pass grade for the Clinical Competency Evaluation. Failure to pass this assessment item will result in a fail grade for the course.

Students with disabilities or medical conditions or students who are carers of a person with a disability may be entitled to a variation or modification to standard assessment arrangements.  See Section 7 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual (APPM) at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/

 

Students who require variations or modifications to standard assessment arrangements should make contact with their Course Coordinator as early as possible in order to ensure that appropriate supports can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner.

 

Students can register for an Access Plan with UniSA Access & Inclusion Service. It is important to make contact early to ensure that appropriate support can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner. See Access and Inclusion for more information: https://i.unisa.edu.au/students/student-support-services/access-inclusion/

Students are advised there is a deadline to finalise Access Plan arrangements for examinations. Further information is available at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/campus-central/Exams_R/Before-the-Exam/Alternative-exam-arrangements/

Deferred assessment or examination is not available for this course. APPM 7.6.4

Special consideration is available for this course. Note: Special consideration cannot be granted for a deferred assessment or examination, or a supplementary assessment or examination. APPM 7.7.6

Variation to assessment methods, tasks and timelines may be provided in:

Unexpected or exceptional circumstances, for example bereavement, unexpected illness (details of unexpected or exceptional circumstances for which variation may be considered are discussed in clauses 7.8 - 7.10 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variation to assessment in unexpected or exceptional circumstances should be discussed with your course coordinator as soon as possible.

Special circumstances, for example religious observance grounds, or community services (details of special circumstances for which variation can be considered are discussed in clause 7.11 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variations to assessment in expected circumstances must be requested within the first two weeks of the course (or equivalent for accelerated or intensive teaching).

 

Students with disabilities or medical conditions please refer to Students with disabilities or medical conditions.

Marking turnaround time for assessments as per policy is 3 weeks or 21 days from the assessment due date. Assignments submitted on time are marked first and within the 3 week turnaround time. Those assignments that are submitted late or with extensions are marked in the order that they are received and are turned around beyond 3 weeks time from the original due date. Announcements are made on the News Forum when grades are released for each assessment task submitted on time.

Academic integrity is the foundation of university life and is fundamental to the reputation of UniSA and its staff and students. Academic integrity means a commitment by all staff and students to act with honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, respect and responsibility in all academic work.

An important part of practising integrity in academic work is showing respect for other people's ideas, and being honest about how they have contributed to your work. This means taking care not to represent the work of others as your own. Using another person's work without proper acknowledgement is considered Academic Misconduct, and the University takes this very seriously.

The University of South Australia expects students to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity so that its degrees are earned honestly and are trusted and valued by its students and their employers. To ensure this happens, the University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. For example, work submitted electronically by students for assessment will be examined for copied and un-referenced text using the text comparison software Turnitin http://www.turnitin.com.

More information about academic integrity and what constitutes academic misconduct can be found in Section 9 of the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/. The Academic Integrity Module explains in more detail how students can work with integrity at the University: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=252142

Assessment Extension
Extensions to assessment tasks will follow the University of South Australia Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM) clause 7.3 - Extension to complete an assessment task. https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/
All assessment extensions requests must be:

• submitted via the learnonline to your designated course Lecturer
• lodged one day prior to the due date for the assessment task
• include a reason for the extension request*
• supported with documentary evidence.

Reasons for requesting Documentary Evidence
Medical or compassionate grounds As outlined in the APPM clauses 7.8 & 7.9 https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/
*The following reasons are not grounds for requesting an extension:

• Assessment tasks in another course due within a similar timeframe
• Computing problems
• Work commitments
• Social commitments such as recreation leave, domestic or international travel
• Scheduled clinical placement

Note: Please be advised that in approving an extension request, the School will take into consideration students’ extension request history. An application may be rejected if no documentary evidence is provided.

Towards the end of the Study Period you will be asked to complete a Course Evaluation, Teaching Evaluation, or other questionnaire.

Whilst this is voluntary, your honest and constructive opinions will be gratefully received and used in redeveloping this course for future students.