The ability to undertake a focused and comprehensive patient assessment is fundamental to nursing practice. Undertaking patient assessment allows nurses to gather the requisite information to make sound clinical judgements thus this unit of study places an emphasis on the systematic collection of reliable and valid assessment data. This unit of study examines the knowledge, capabilities and clinical skills required to undertake comprehensive health assessment inclusive of physical and mental health status in complex clinical situations. Underpinning any patient assessment is a detailed understanding of normal physiological processes and the ways in which illness and injury alters these processes. In this unit of study students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to synthesise concepts of altered physiology and patient assessment with the implementation and evaluation of appropriate management strategies.

Nurses working in senior clinical positions assist in providing care to groups of patients and their families, both directly and indirectly. In doing so nurses must incorporate individual need with the requirements of the department/unit, hospital and area health service. The provision of coordinated patient care is supported by organisational structures at the hospital and area health service level, which are guided by the NSW Department of Health. Nursing practice is also informed by relevant nursing professional bodies and associations.
The aim of this unit of study is to explore local, state, national and international social and political issues that impact on clinical nursing practice in Australia. Within this context issues examined will include concepts such as the development of the specialist nurse, advanced nursing practice and the advanced practice nurse, case management theory, scope of practice, professional guidelines for nursing practice, models of care, service provision and workforce issues that impact on practitioner practice. In this unit, students will explore ways in which government and professional bodies provide information, which supports decision-making regarding the provision of patient care. Additionally, as part of expanding the individual nurse's repertoire, students will be encouraged to broaden their specialty knowledge and nursing practice and will have the opportunity to further develop specialist knowledge and/ or practice related to a specific practice topic.

This unit of study will examine and critique established and emerging ways of researching nursing and health care through discussion of the philosophical and theoretical origins of the research traditions and knowledge generation in nursing research. Conceptualisation of research questions, selection of research designs, governance of research and research utilisation in the clinical setting will be explored. Opportunities will be provided to engage in the research process with reference to clinically related situations.

The need for leadership across all clinical disciplines has been shown to be integral to safe practice and strong staff morale. Providing a clear and unambiguous framework for practice and fostering skills in moral stewardship are known to enable personal growth and strong clinical care. This unit explores a range of issues for clinicians including their legal and ethical obligations, concepts of accountability and collegiality, and strategies to increase resilience and emotional intelligence. It aims to equip nurses to take initiative, create supportive and sustaining clinical environments, have the courage of their convictions, and to celebrate curiosity.

Nurses working in senior clinical positions assist in providing care to groups of patients and their families, both directly and indirectly. In doing so nurses must incorporate individual need with the requirements of the department/unit, hospital and area health service. The provision of coordinated patient care is supported by organisational structures at the hospital and area health service level, which are guided by the NSW Department of Health. Nursing practice is also informed by relevant nursing professional bodies and associations. The aim of this unit of study is to explore local, state, national and international social and political issues that impact on cancer and haematology nursing practice in Australia. Within this context issues examined will include concepts such as the development of the specialist nurse, advanced nursing practice and the advanced practice nurse, case management theory, scope of practice, professional guidelines for nursing practice, models of care, service provision and workforce issues that impact on practitioner practice. In this unit, students will explore ways in which government and professional bodies provide information, which supports decision-making regarding the provision of patient care. Additionally, as part of expanding the individual nurse's repertoire, students will be encouraged to broaden their specialty knowledge and nursing practice and will have the opportunity to further develop specialist knowledge and/ or practice related to a specific practice topic.

Emergency departments and intensive care units are dynamic practice environments where both patient need and workforce pressures create opportunities for nurses to expand their clinical and professional skill base. Scope of practice may be governed locally within hospitals and Local Health Districts whilst professional bodies such as the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses, the College of Emergency Nurses Australasia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council also inform practice. This unit of study examines the elements defining safe scope of practice, but also explores the processes by which nurses may expand their repertoire and formal recognition of skills within a framework of education, competency and authorisation. In this unit, students will expand their clinical and theoretical repertoire by developing an in-depth understanding of a specific practice issue in intensive care or emergency nursing.

This unit of study is designed to extend students' ability to engage in advanced mental health nursing practice. The unit focuses on enhancing specialist knowledge and skills in a range of psychosocial approaches used in mental health care. Theoretical approaches and philosophical underpinnings of therapeutic strategies will be examined, and the nature of effective and ineffective interpersonal relationships critically explored. Through application of evidence-based knowledge, students will explore individual, family, and group therapeutic skills-based strategies, including psycho-education, relaxation techniques, group work, and problem-solving skills, and key psychosocial interventions, for example Solution Focused Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Students will be provided with structured learning experiences to extend their practice in these areas.

This unit of study focuses on pathophysiological concepts and processes related human responses to disease and illness. Using a conceptual approach, students will be provided with the opportunity to apply research findings to gain a deeper understanding of patient assessment findings. The conceptual approach assists students to focus on clinical problems encountered across common disease categories and populations, become more systematic in making observations about events or conditions that influence patient signs and symptoms and formalise questions that serve as the basis for further investigation. The application of these processes and concepts provides a knowledge base for registered nurses to improve clinical judgments and decision-making in the management of patients with complex changes in health status.

With reference to one of the central objectives of Australia's National Medicines Policy, the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM), students will focus on developing skills related to selecting management options wisely considering the risk and benefit to the consumer, choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary and using medicines safely and effectively. Students will explore the regulatory framework associated with medication management and focus on clinical pharmacological therapies relevant to their specialist area of practice as an advanced practitioner.

This unit of study will assist students to extend their development of advanced and extended nursing practice within their specialty. The unit will provide a framework within which students will bring together the various treads of managing patients/ clients as a future nurse practitioner and assist students develop a professional portfolio demonstrating their capability to practice against the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2006) Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner. The unit of study will explore selected current clinical and professionally related topics including: clinical judgment and decision making, risk benefit and risk management, judicious referrals, interdisciplinary practice, health promotion and counselling skills as well as ethical and legal considerations of practice as a future Nurse Practitioner. Students will undertake a period of partnered clinical practice with an approved clinical supervisor (senior clinician) whose work relates to the student's clinical focus, to enhance clinical skills and practice by incorporating the work undertaken during the award and extend to include guided reflection on their observation and understanding of their advanced practice role.

This unit of study will assist students to extend their specialty-focussed development of advanced and extended nursing practice. The unit provides direction and mentorship in assisting students develop their knowledge and skills in relation to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2006) Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner and which will therefore be suitable for demonstrating their capability to practice as a Nurse Practitioner. Selected current clinical and professionally related topics including: clinical judgment and decision making in advanced practice, risk benefit and risk management, judicious referrals, interdisciplinary practice, health promotion and counselling skills and the ethical and legal considerations of practice as a future Nurse Practitioner will be explored both within the classroom and during a specified period of partnered clinical practice with an approved clinical supervisor (senior clinician whose work relates to the student's clinical focus).

This unit of study aims to empower the advanced practice nurse through an in depth understanding of medications in relation to their origin, chemical structure, preparation, administration, their actions on physiological and pathophysiological processes and their metabolism and excretion.

Diagnostic reasoning is the hallmark of an expert Nurse Practitioner. The ability to gather and judge the value of perceptual and clinical information to inform choices and provide benefit to patients with minimal risk of harm is at the heart of advanced practice nursing. Nurse Practitioners are required to make effective practice decisions and use informed judgment, frequently in the context of uncertainty and for patients with complex health problems. Viewed from both the concept of information processing (Information Processing Model) and skilled know-how (Hermeneutical Model), this unit focuses on the examination of health-assessment techniques and the processes of clinical judgement to develop diagnostic reasoning behaviours.