The aim of this unit of study is to bridge the gap in understanding the post-colonial impact on the health of Indigenous Australians today. It explores how imposed policies have contributed to the disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians and how this has been perpetuated through the generations contributing to the high incidences of various health conditions. The unit of study will also provide students with avenues of Best Practice in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for effective health service delivery.

This unit of study is designed to provide students with an introductory level understanding of the concepts related to human anatomy and physiology. The unit will focus on the major body organ systems and the interrelationship between these systems. The integration of the body organ systems will provide a basis to explore processes fundamental to health, including oxygenation, metabolism, elimination, movement, neuro-endocrine regulation, protection, and reproduction. The key physiological processes of each body organ system will be explored using the principle of homeostasis to develop a beginner's level understanding of compensatory mechanisms that may occur during alterations of physiological function and illness. This will provide students with a foundational basis with which to understand more complex physiological alterations and pathophysiology later in the degree.

Health assessment of individuals, families and groups is the foundation of accurate nursing judgements, and is a process that occurs with each nurse-patient encounter. It represents the first step of the Framework for Practice Thinking which will be introduced in this unit of study. The student will be introduced to the theoretical and practice aspects of health assessment and how assessment assists in making clinical judgements that form the basis for planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care. Processes to collect physiological, psychosocial, developmental, sociocultural and spiritual data, in both objective and subjective forms will be discussed and students' skills in the use of health assessment tools developed.

The student will develop an understanding of environmental, biological and socioeconomic determinants of the health and well-being of populations. The understanding of these determinants will be facilitated by an introduction to epidemiology and its' role and function in relation to the new public health. Students will critically reflect on population health data that identifies issues of access, social inclusion and equity within Australian society. A detailed analysis of population behaviours and the determinants that can have an impact on their behaviours, health and wellbeing will be undertaken during the unit of study. Public health helps to establish need and assists in analyses of the impact of health interventions. As such, epidemiological data provides a major resource to guide evidence-based practice. How epidemiological data provides public health analysts with an evidence-base to explain population level health, and healthcare practitioners with knowledge that can inform the care provided at a personal level, will be discussed. Students will also gain insight into the challenges that face practitioners who need to translate population health information into appropriate individualised healthcare plans. Co-relationships between public health, primary care, primary healthcare, health promotion and ultimately personal healthcare will also be explored.

This unit explores nursing from historical, philosophical, theoretical and contemporary perspectives. It aims to develop knowledge and mindful action in nursing practice by introducing students to the Framework for Practice Thinking and the concept of person-centred care. The unit of study will also provide students with a 'toolkit' of fundamental nursing and communication skills applicable across the lifespan which recognise the diversity of different cultural groups.

This unit of study will provide students with a contextual link between human physiology and alterations to physiological processes and pathophysiological phenomena experienced by patients in clinical settings. This will involve further exploration of the homeostatic control of body processes and how compensatory mechanisms manifest. The topics of oxygenation, protection, metabolism, neuro-endocrine regulation, and elimination will be explored in the context of disease and disorders associated with these processes. This will extend students' understandings of complex physiological alterations and pathophysiology.

This unit focuses on the different ways in which individuals subjectively experience health, illness and care. The unit explores meanings of health and distinguishes between illness and disease. Theories that inform our understandings of what it is to be human are examined including, subjectivity, embodiment and the development of emotions across the lifespan. Attention is drawn to factors arising in illness and disability, such as issues of self-identity and embodiment in illness and social attitudes to illness, and how these can impact on the individual experience. With this knowledge in mind, the nurse-patient relationship is critically examined within a person-centred framework of care. Central to this framework is communication, emotional intelligence, engagement and therapeutic listening, and students will explore these aspects of their nurse-patient relationships and consider how these may vary in different healthcare settings and with people of different cultural backgrounds and different ethical positions.

This unit of study builds on the understandings developed in Population Health to Personal Healthcare and develops students' understanding of research within a health and healthcare setting. Research plays a significant role in advancing nursing theory and practice. An understanding of the relationship between research and evidence for practice is based on developing a foundational knowledge of the context, the process, and the application of research to health and healthcare. Students will explore these dimensions of research in health, developing their research skills and knowledge in all other units of study in this Program.

This unit of study will examine the integration of theoretical and clinical components of nursing knowledge to enable the provision of care to acutely ill patients. From a person-centred care perspective the responses of individuals and their families to an acute disruption in health will be explored. The content of this unit relates to medical/surgical nursing and focuses on the themes of disruptions to health, the impact of illness and surgery, the process of nursing care, especially in the peri-operative phase for individuals and their families, based on an evidence-based approach to nursing care. Legislation and legal responsibilities and nursing actions in relation to treatment, surgery and medication administration are also examined in this unit.

This introductory pharmacology unit will be taught jointly by the Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney and Sydney Nursing School. Lectures will enable students to develop an understanding of drug action, the relationship between molecular structure and drug activity, drug metabolism and dosage and some therapeutic uses of drugs. In addition, through tutorials and clinical laboratory sessions, students will be provided with an opportunity to apply the underlying principles of pharmacology to their nursing practice by learning to:
1. Search evidence-based drug information sources for relevant information;
2. Apply and integrate the evidence-based pharmacological information to simple case studies to optimise safe medication management. Students will also learn about the legal and professional requirements associated with the quality use of medicines in nursing practice.

This unit of study introduces students to childrens' and young peoples' nursing. Essential skills and knowledge for paediatric, child and youth health nursing across a variety of clinical and community settings will prepare students for critical thinking and problem solving within this field. The unit emphasises contemporary issues impacting on the health of children, young people, and their families, and students will have the opportunity to examine interventions and strategies aimed at improving health outcomes.

This unit of study builds on the first year unit, Population Health to Personal Healthcare. Contemporary ideas and beliefs about health and illness in Australia will be critically examined, including western and non-western approaches and current discourses of health care, including primary health care and patient self management. The unit will support a critical analysis of the relationships between social factors (for example ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, geographic location) and patterns of health and illness across the lifespan in contemporary Australia. Students will also explore cultural competence theories as these relate to caring for people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds in Australia.

This unit of study is the first of two focusing on mental health nursing and is based on the principle that mental health knowledge and skills are essential for all nurses, regardless of their healthcare setting. The unit is underpinned by an evidence-based holistic understanding of mental health and illness. The unit aims to introduce students to constructs of mental health and wellbeing and mental illness and to the nurse's role in promoting mental health, preventing mental illness and minimising the negative effects of illness for individuals, family/carers and the community. Students will explore and develop core mental health nursing values, skills and knowledge. Consumer and carer perspectives will inform students' understandings of mental health and mental health problems as experienced across the lifespan by children, young people and adults, and older persons of varying cultural and gendered backgrounds. Mental health problems are explored with respect to the latest evidence for risk/protective factors, symptomatology, co-morbidities, nursing care, and psychotherapeutic and physical treatment approaches. The nurse's effective use of self and the therapeutic nurse/client interpersonal relationship as core mental health nursing skills are addressed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Students will develop key mental health assessment and clinical nursing skills. The scope of nursing practice is addressed in a range of mental health and ethico-legal contexts with the overall aim of generating nursing care that supports effective outcomes for mental health consumers and their family/carers.

This is a multidisciplinary unit taught jointly by the Sydney Nursing School and the Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Science, Sydney Medical School. This unit builds on the foundations of pharmacology that were taught in Introduction to Pharmacology. The unit extends the fundamental pharmacological knowledge and concepts taught in Introduction to Pharmacology to explore the use of pharmacotherapy and how drugs affect the body in health and disease.

This unit will examine the use of therapeutic agents acting upon the central nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory systems as well as exploring use of complementary therapies and recreational drugs. Throughout the unit students will consider the role of pharmacotherapy, the use of individual agents including mechanism of action, interactions, adverse reactions and practice principles associated with each agent in the nursing context. Students will be provided with an opportunity to apply the underlying principles of pharmacology to nursing practice. By integrating evidence-based pharmacological knowledge to case studies they will learn to optimise safe medication management.

This unit of study is designed to take a broad view of ageing across the adult lifespan. The person-centred philosophy of care is incorporated into this unit to examine the relationship between ageing, health and care. This unit focuses on demographic transition, impact on the population profile, psychosocial and behavioural aspects of ageing and their influence on health and wellbeing. The experience of ageing is explored from multidimensional views, including biological, physiological, social and cultural perspectives. Common ageing problems and current epidemiological trends, nationally and internationally, will be examined. A focus on health priorities to address changing needs of an ageing population will also be discussed in this unit. This unit also explores perspectives on healthy and successful ageing, and considers the value of health education and health promotion for older people and the relevance of a primary health approach, as well as the role of nurses in relation to these.

This practice-focused unit is the second mental health nursing unit in the program, and extends the foundation knowledge and skills gained in the initial mental health nursing unit. This unit provides students with an opportunity to develop their understandings of mental health problems and to explore a range of complex mental health issues across the lifespan. The needs of special populations are explored, including perinatal mental health, infant, child and adolescent mental health problems, and the mental health of older persons. Therapeutic approaches used in mental health are a particular focus and students will have the opportunity to extend their knowledge and skills in specific individual and group evidence-based interventions. The unit aims to equip students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to provide evidence-based interventions and contribute to service developments which promote socially inclusive mental healthcare for individuals, families and communities. Holistic approaches that will be taught include recovery focused and supportive interventions to help consumers take control of their own mental health and wellbeing.

Critical care nurses provide care for patients whose clinical instability is life threatening. This unit of study introduces students to the concept of critical care nursing and the impact a critical illness has on those close to the ill or recovering person. While focusing on the adult patient who is critically unstable, this unit concentrates on the nursing assessment, diagnosis and nursing interventions required in their management. Clinical application of theoretical content will include pathophysiology, pharmacology and management modalities. This unit also explores how technology can assist in the continuous monitoring of patients in these environments. It advances previously learned knowledge and clinical decision making skills gained in first and second year units of study, and in particular: Health Assessment, Acute Care and Nursing Practice and Pharmacology, People and Practice.

The focus of this unit of study is to prepare students for nursing in community settings. Over recent years acute, chronic and increasingly complex conditions are being managed in the community. Community health nursing is a field of nursing that also combines knowledge and skills from nursing and public health in the promotion of health and illness prevention. It is population orientated, contextual, involves interdisciplinary collaboration and has an emphasis on wellness and the promotion of health and wellness through client engagement in self- care. This unit of study examines the major concepts and principles of community health nursing including self- care, continuity of care, primary healthcare, health promotion/illness prevention, community assessment, family assessment, and home care.

This unit of study is the culmination of the leadership theme inherent in this degree course and is designed to provide students with a framework on which to construct their leadership development and maximise their current and future leadership potential. In constructing this framework, the unit is intentionally epistemologically and theoretically diverse, and draws on seminal works and current leadership research and knowledge from a range of disciplines. The unit aims to equip students to take initiative, create supportive and sustaining clinical environments and increase their resilience and emotional intelligence. Throughout this unit of study students will reflect on their leadership practice, and that of others, through a legal-professional-organisational lens to subsequently gain a deeper understanding of the inherent centrality of nursing leadership in the clinical practice setting and in the role of registered nurses in contemporary healthcare environments.

This unit of study focuses on the management of chronic conditions in the community and highlights the role that nurses play in supporting people who are living with such conditions. Central to the unit is self-management of chronic conditions and the principles and practices that support such management. The most common chronic conditions in Australia will be identified, their risk factors highlighted, and prevention strategies and management options explored. The unit recognises that chronic pain is a debilitating syndrome that many people live with and need to manage. Many people frequently manage multiple chronic conditions and at times need additional support, care and therapy. The management of common chronic co-morbidities will be covered in this unit. The unit also recognises that for effective management of chronic conditions there is a need for strategies across multiple settings from home to acute care and sometimes to residential care, and for multiple modalities including rehabilitation and complementary therapies. Strategic discharge planning is recognized as an integral component in chronic conditions management. The role of nurses in multidisciplinary teams is investigated. The provision of spiritual caring by nurses for people living with chronic conditions is included in this unit of study. A lifespan approach is taken when discussing the occurrence of chronic conditions in the community. The overall framework of the unit of study is one of a person-centred approach to the management of chronic conditions. The chronic model of care is the healthcare approach.

This unit of study explores, at a beginning level, the knowledge and clinical practices related to the delivery of pre-hospital health services. The roles and contexts within which nurses may act as first line responders will be discussed. Students will explore clinical practices within an integrated healthcare system and consider the issues and trends that influence scope of practice and service delivery. The principles of emergency management in primary healthcare settings, retrieval systems and planning for the management of multiple casualties from natural, chemical or infective disasters and conflict will be investigated.

This unit of study focuses on the meaning and management of life-limiting illness, palliation and end-of-life care. Palliative care is a concept of care that is relevant across many different healthcare settings. This unit will examine a palliative approach together with end-of-life care, in the community and across a variety of healthcare settings. The most common life-limiting conditions will be identified and their management options investigated. Clinical guidelines for palliation and symptom management used nationally and internationally will be examined. The role nurses play as members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team delivering person-centred care, and their relationships with patients, families and other members of the healthcare team are focussed on in this unit. With a lifespan approach, person-centred care and communication in managing life-limiting conditions, and the notion of dignity as a core component of the nurse's therapeutic relationship will be explored in this unit. Dying, death, loss, grief and bereavement will also be explored within a global perspective.

This unit of study takes a big-picture perspective to explore the political dimensions of health and healthcare in the Australian context. It focuses on the ways in which political imperatives influence conceptualisations of health and illness, and the organisation and delivery of healthcare. The structure and funding models of the Australian healthcare system are critically examined, as is the policy process and its implications for the way care is conceptualised and delivered in Australia. The unit compares the Australian system with other national health-care systems to broaden the perspective and enable students to develop their understanding of how the Australian system is situated, and perceived, internationally. Workforce issues are explored, including the various roles of healthcare professionals and the ways in which these roles, and associated inter-professional relationships, may change over time. Throughout the unit, there is an emphasis on nursing as a critically important profession within the broader healthcare arena.

This unit of study provides students with an opportunity to focus on a clinical area of interest, consolidate prior learning, and develop their knowledge base and nursing practice expertise. Students will be able to choose from a number of clinical areas such as aged care, palliative care, mental health, perioperative, high acuity, and paediatrics. A person-centred approach within the Framework for Practice Thinking will be used to guide the teaching and learning strategies. Using patient based scenarios the essentials of care methodology will be explored. The unit will also address student's preparation for making the transition into the workforce by examining professional standards including codes of professional conduct and ethics, standards for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners, professional boundaries, legal frameworks for practice and decision making frameworks.