NURSING 740 : Nurse Practitioner Prescribing Practicum

Medical and Health Sciences

2025 Semester Two (1255) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Clinical practicum facilitating mastery of the Nursing Council of New Zealand Nurse Practitioner (NP) competencies for autonomous clinical practice in the Nurse Practitioner scope of practice. Critically analyse clinical cases and develop evidence-informed and innovative solutions through expert consultation and primary literature review. Students will prepare a portfolio demonstrating expert autonomous clinical practice for complex medical and nursing problems.

Course Overview

Clinical practicum facilitating mastery of the Nursing Council of New Zealand Nurse Practitioner (NP) competencies for autonomous clinical practice in the Nurse Practitioner scope of practice. Critically analyse clinical cases and develop evidence-informed and innovative solutions through expert consultation and primary literature review. Students will prepare a portfolio demonstrating expert autonomous clinical practice for complex medical and nursing problems. 


Course Requirements

Prerequisite: NURSING 743

Course Contacts

Course Administrator Matthew Baker Matthew.baker@auckland.ac.nz
Course Coordinator Angela Jackson. a.jackson@auckland.ac.nz
Course Director Rachael Walker rachael.walker@auckland.ac.nz


Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Nursing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Support, educate, coach, counsel and work in partnership with the health consumer and their family/whanau regarding diagnoses, prognoses, and self-management, including their personal responses to illness, injuries, risk factors and therapeutic interventions demonstrating responsiveness to Maori and capacity to eliminate health inequities. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4)
  2. Synthesise and apply advanced knowledge of pharmacology making safe and appropriate risk-benefit prescribing decisions including considerations of antibiotic stewardship, recognition and management of drug dependency, de-prescribing to manage polypharmacy. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
  3. Critically analyse theoretical and clinical knowledge of pharmacotherapeutic decision making in special populations (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Apply and critique evidence-based treatment options, including medicines, when treating common and complex health problems (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
  5. Demonstrate mastery of professional standards and health policy relevant to nurse practitioner practice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 7.1)
  6. Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, leadership and management skills to foster and maintain collegial relationships by communicating and engaging effectively and professionally with diverse groups and communities to improved healthcare outcomes. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 10% Individual Coursework
Viva examination 30% Individual Examination
Case Studies 50% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 10% Individual Coursework
Clinical competency assessment Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Quizzes
Viva examination
Case Studies
Portfolio
Clinical competency assessment
As this course leads to registration in a scope of practice, the minimum pass mark is 65% average of all graded assessments.  The Clinical competency assessment must be passed to pass the course.

Workload Expectations

This course is a practicum 30 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in clinical practicum learning as well as 8-10 hours on other learning strategies for a 30 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, a 1-hour tutorial every other week, 60 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 50 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.  An additional 250 hours of clinical placement.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials and face to face contact days.
Lectures will be available as recordings if possible. Other learning activities including seminars/tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

The online learning management system, Canvas provides access to multiple sources of information.  There are recommended textbooks as well as clinical resources.  

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Students articulate a very challenging year but feel prepared for NP practice.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.