Required texts

Required texts and reading material:

1. Craft, J., & Gordon, C. (2023). Understanding Pathophysiology (4th ed.). Elsevier - (ISBN: 9780729544634).

Required readings will be taken from this resource.

• Students are expected and strongly encouraged to review the required reading material, as listed on canvas, prior to attending their weekly workshop.
• Students may choose to either purchase this textbook or access a copy from the library to support their learning throughout the semester.

2. Levett-Jones, T., & Smith, J. (2023). Clinical reasoning: What it is and why it matters. In T. Levett-Jones (Ed.), Clinical Reasoning Learning to Think Like a Nurse. (3rd ed., pp. 2-15). Pearson.

• Students are expected and strongly encouraged to review the required reading material, as listed on canvas, prior to attending their weekly workshops.

• This document is required reading.

1. American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.

• All UC nursing courses use APA 7th Edition for referencing, use of a referencing text is beneficial and can be used throughout your program of study.
• Students may choose to either purchase this text or access a copy from the library to support their learning throuhtgout the semester.
• The UC Library also has a referencing guide which can be found here: 

2. Harris, P., Nagy, S., & Vardaxis, N. (2024). Mosby's medical dictionary of medicine, nursing and health professions. (4th ANZ ed.). Elsevier.

3. Levett-Jones, T. (Ed.). (2023). Clinical reasoning: Learning to think like a nurse (3rd ed.). Pearson.

4. Bauldoff, G., Gubrud, P., & Carno, M. (2020). Lemone and Burke's medical surgical nursing: Critical thinking for person-centred care. (4th ed.). Pearson.

Please note: All students are encouraged to consider the use of textbooks and resources contextualised to the Australian Healthcare setting to support their learning. Please be mindful to verify the source of online content, to ensure that you are accessing accurate and appropriate information to support your understanding of key concepts explored in this unit.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Where possible and relevant, all assessment items will be submitted online via the Canvas teaching site in UCLearn, unless specifically instructed by the Unit Convenor.

The first page of each assessment item should include the following information:

• Student ID number.
• Assessment Name.
• Word Count (if applicable).

Students should note that names are not to be included on any assessment tasks/submissions. Only Student ID numbers should be included (as per the and ).

Assessment items must be submitted to the assignment area in the unit's UCLearn site, relating to that piece of assessment. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item, to the right submission section.

Students must submit their own original work that has not been previously submitted for assessment at the University of Canberra. Self-plagiarism is grounds for referral for academic misconduct. In this context the student is being assessed as an individual.

Late Submission 

Late submissions will only be accepted for a limited period as detailed in the . If more than one late submission is made within that period, only the first late submission will be accepted for marking and may be subject to penalties as detailed in the .

The following late submission period and penalty is applicable to any teaching period commencing after 1 April 2024. 

To support the provision of timely feedback to students within the unit, late penalties will apply for summative assessments where late submission is permitted. Late submissions without an approved extension or reasonable adjustment will result in a penalty of a mark reduction of 10% of the maximum available marks for the assessment item per day (or part thereof) up to and including three calendar days. If a student submits more than three calendar days late without an approved extension or reasonable adjustment, the student will be allocated a mark of zero for that assessment, with no feedback provided. 

For teaching periods commencing prior to 1 April 2024, a late penalty of 5 % of the maximum available marks for the assessment item per day (or part thereof) was applied up to and including seven calendar days. An assignment submitted over 7 days late will not be accepted. 

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their assessment during business hours to ensure access to Student Support Services including IT Service Desk and the Library. It is important to note that personal network/computer/technical problems are generally not considered acceptable grounds or reasons for an extension to the due date. Students who are experiencing difficulty uploading a submission are strongly encouraged to take a screenshot of any error messages, including the date and time, and contact Service Desk for technical support.

Extensions 

Students can apply for an extension to the submission due date for an assessment item due to extenuating, evidenced circumstances (specific details are found in the Assessment Procedures). An extension must be applied for before the due date. Documentary evidence (e.g. medical certificate) will be expected for an extension to be granted, however this will not guarantee that the application will be successful. The Unit Convener or relevant Program Director will decide whether to grant an extension and the length of the extension. 

An Assignment Extension form is available from the Student Forms page. 

Approval of extensions based on extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener. 

Students must ensure that when applying for an extension to the due date that their application meets the requirements as per the University of Canberra Assessment Procedures. This means that students must ensure that when applying for an extension all required components are submitted to the assessment extension application prior to the assessment due date. It is the student's individual responsibility to ensure that applications are completed in full and in a timely manner.

In the event that a student experiences significant extenuating circumstances the unit convenor may seek guidance from the BN Convenor to support the student's progression and participation across enrolled units of study within the same teaching period. Please see the extension section of this unit outline and the dedicated page on the  for more information.

To pass this unit, students must:

• Submit all assessment items as instructed (including formative activities), and
• Attend 80% of scheduled workshops/tutorials, and
• Achieve 50% overall.

Special assessment requirements

Information on extensions and special considerations for assessments can be found in the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures.

Moderation.

Moderation will be undertaken for assessment items to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. Moderation processes are in line with the Faculty of Health guidelines and the University .

Illness.

It is strongly advised that students do not submit an assessment or sit an exam if they are ill or hold a current medical certificate. No consideration will be given for illness when the assessment or examination is marked.

In the event students are ill they are strongly advised to apply for an extension to the due date of an assessment, as outlined on the unit Canvas site and/or contact their unit convenor to arrange a deferred exam prior to the due date of the assessment/exam.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment will not be offered to students in the unit.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the , , and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

To get the most out of your studies, it is strongly recommended that you plan your time commitments, actively engage in class discussions (face-to-face on campus or Real Time) and work with your peers as part of your study. The amount of time you will need to spend on study in this unit will depend on several factors including your prior knowledge, learning skill level, and learning style.

Please note that as per UC guidelines, for each 3 Credit Point unit of study students should expect to spend approximately 150 hours per teaching period on both directed and self-directed activities to engage meaningfully in the unit content and to develop assessments for learning.

All Bachelor of Nursing students are expected to undertake a minimum of five (5) hours per week per unit of directed/self-directed learning (SDL), related to content engagement, assessment preparation, clinical learning, or revision, in addition to their timetabled unit contact (i.e., lectures, workshops, tutorials).

In nursing where PEP is a requirement for professional registration, hours expected for engagement and to meet the unit requirements are necessarily adjusted and may fluctuate during the teaching period.

Academic Integrity & Generative AI use

Across the School of Nursing and Midwifery programs, the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) should be approached with transparency and clear acknowledgment to uphold academic integrity and maintain trust within the academic community.

Students are encouraged to engage with AI tools responsibly, using them as aids in research, learning, and clinical problem-solving rather than as replacements for critical thinking or professional judgment. It is critically important that student knowledge is assessed to verify their achievement of unit and course level outcomes for the integrity of the profession and the safety of the public. It is essential that any contributions or insights generated by AI, including but not limited to summaries, text generation, image generation, or data analysis, be transparently referenced in accordance with academic standards to ensure clarity regarding the sources of information and to avoid any misrepresentation of authorship. Please see the UC student guide regarding 

GenAI Acknowledgement Statement for assignments

Select which of the following two statements is relevant to your submission based on whether you have used or not used GenAI in preparing the assessment. Complete the relevant GenAI Acknowledgement Statement for your assessment before copying the statement into your submission, either after the reference list or another location as specified in the assessment instructions.

I have not used any GenAI tools/services in the preparation of this assessment. I understand that providing false or misleading information in this GenAI Acknowledgement Statement may constitute a breach of the University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023.

OR

I have used the following Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools/services in the preparation of this assessment:

• GenAI service name and version: [Insert]
• Link to the GenAI service: [Insert]
• Ways this GenAI service was used: [insert]

I confirm that I have not used GenAI in the preparation of this assessment for any purpose other than what I have acknowledged above and I have cited and referenced any GenAI content in my assessment submission, applying the relevant referencing style. I understand that providing false or misleading information in this GenAI Acknowledgement Statement may constitute a breach of the University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023.

This practice not only promotes ethical standards but also aligns with recent guidelines emphasising transparency in AI use in educational and clinical contexts (e.g., International Council of Nurses, position statement 2023 and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency).

For more information, please see the following resources:

International Council of Nurses. (2023). Digital health transformation and nursing practice. Position statement. 

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. (2025). Gen AI knowledge hub. 

Inclusion and engagement

Any student with a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) is asked to contact inclusion@canberra.edu.au to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be required for PEP.

Students within 364JA Bachelor of Nursing must ensure that they meet the Inherent Requirements relevant to the profession of nursing – it is each students responsibility to read and understand these UC Nursing Inherent Requirements statements. For support in meeting the inherent requirements, please make a time with InclusionUC and your Course Convenor.

Participation requirements

Attendance.

It is expected that students will participate in all learning opportunities in this unit. This is inclusive of all timetabled activities. Assessment items are linked to the unit learning outcomes, the NMBA Registered Nurse standards for practice and professional codes. Therefore, all students are required to attend and actively participate in all learning activities scheduled for this unit. Students can self-select their preferred classes via the Allocate+ system. Please remember that class selection is based on your allocated PEP group.

All students are reminded that it is an ANMAC requirement that students complete their studies onshore, in Australia. This applies to both domestic and international students. If you are scheduled to undertake a unit of study in the upcoming teaching period and are experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing you from remaining on shore, please contact the International Nursing Student Convenor or the Bachelor of Nursing Course Convenor to discuss your ongoing course progression.

Students are expected to attend their allocated weekly workshop/tutoiral. It is the student's own responsibility to ensure they have read and understood the attendance requirements for this unit of study. Failure to meet the attendance requirements of this unit will result in a NN grade. In the event that a student experiences extenuating circumstances impacting on their ability to attend their allocated workshop the student must notify the unit convenor via the unit email or Canvas and provide documentary evidence to support their absence.

Approved absences, opportunity to clarify learning and make up requirements.

Approved absences, supported by documentary evidence, will be determined at the discretion of the Unit Convenor, in line with the information available on the individual unit Canvas site.

It is the responsibility of the individual student to seek clarification if they have questions related to the content missed. In the first instance students are expected to post their question on the available, relevant discussion boards and await a response from the teaching/convening team or their peers.

Ongoing points requiring clarification are to be addressed via discussion boards and/or available drop-in/make-up sessions. Students are also afforded the opportunity to contact the convening team via the unit email address as required.

Approved absences are not considered grounds for appeal.

As stipulated in this Unit Outline students are required to attend 80% of the scheduled timetable activities for this unit.

Where an approved absence is granted, the student will be expected to:

- revise any content missed, inclusive of:

• workshop/tutorial/seminar activities
• required readings
• Canvas activities

AND

• attend available drop-in session/s scheduled during the semester. Students will be advised of available session/s via the unit Canvas site. 

If students identify further clarification is required, it is expected that they will post questions to relevant discussion boards and/or attend drop-in session/s available within the individual unit. 

Please note that there will be both formative and summative assessments due in certain classes. Refer to the Assessment Requirements for further details.

The theoretical underpinning of caring science is fundamental to ensure safe nursing practice. Completion of all learning modules, including directed and self-directed study, and active participation in workshops is expected. Participating in workshop discussions to clarify concepts and to develop confidence with professional communication and verbally expressing ideas can be helpful for students and also supports the learning of student peers (see NMBA RN standards for practice 2016 Standard 2 and related criterion )

Withdrawal.

It is expected that all students will be available for the duration of the teaching period, inclusive of any scheduled PEP in INC units. All students are encouraged to review the  for information on deadlines, including census date.

During the week before the teaching period commences (O week) students are encouraged to speak with the relevant unit convenor/s to understand specific unit requirements in their chosen unit of study, including requirements specified in this unit outline.

Where a student self-identifies that they will not be available for the duration of the teaching period, and/or scheduled PEP, it is strongly encouraged that they consider withdrawing from the unit prior to census date to avoid any financial and/or academic penalty. Where extenuating circumstances arise after census date the student will be encouraged to speak with Student Centre regarding withdrawal from the unit and applying for remission of fees and/or academic penalty.

It is expected that students who withdraw from a unit of study will contact the course convenor to discuss their overall course progression and seek an updated, approved, study plan from health.student@canberra.edu.au to support their continued progression in the course.

Course Progression and Maximum Duration.

Students are reminded that any variation to their study plan, including withdrawal or awarding of a fail grade, will increase overall course duration. Students must course complete within the maximum course duration of six (6) years. As the Bachelor of Nursing course is accredited with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), in the event that a student is identified as not being able to course complete in the required maximum course duration, the Discipline will recommend to Faculty Board that your program be discontinued.

Required IT skills

Please note the materials required for this unit section. You will require computer skills to access the internet upload to the Canvas university site submissions in various formats. This unit may involve online meetings in real time using a virtual room. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, please visit the UCLearn Student Help link. Smart phones will not be able to accommodate the needs of this requirement.

Students undertaking units where there are assessment items conducted online are strongly encouraged to test their setup during the semester, including microphone and video setup. Where support for troubleshooting technical issues is identified by students, students are encouraged to seek support from Service Desk.

In-unit costs

The following costs are expected with this unit:

• Textbooks
• Self-printing of any electronic material provided.
• Potential costs associated with remote learning activities and/or assessments (e.g., reliable computer with camera, speaker, and internet connection).

Work placement, internships or practicums

None.

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