NURSPRAC 708 : Emergency Specialty Nursing

Medical and Health Sciences

2025 Semester One (1253) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Draws on evidence from biomedical and social science research to equip nurses for the care and treatment of patients in the emergency setting. Students will be expected to integrate evidence from a range of sources and apply this to the practice of emergency nursing.

Course Overview

Advanced nursing practice is the ability to apply the latest evidence to nursing practice and knowledge in
order to contribute to advances in specialist nursing areas. The focus of the NURSPRAC Courses are:
  • Scientific concepts and pathophysiological processes.
  • Application of specialty knowledge and skill to client care.
Specifically, the aims of NURSPRAC 708 are to:
  • Increase nurses' Emergency knowledge and skill in order to enable them to plan and deliver client-centred care to clients with specific healthcare needs.
  • Increase nurses' pathophysiology knowledge in relation to Emergency Nursing

Course Requirements

Restriction: NURSING 730

Course Contacts

w.sundgren@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. Apply an understanding of pathophysiological processes of specific disease states to individual clients and client groups (Capability 4.2)
  2. Demonstrate the care of clients with complex and specific healthcare needs, including the development of overall client healthcare plans (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2, 8.1 and 8.2)
  3. Demonstrate competency in speciality-based client assessment skills (Capability 1.2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Demonstrate competency in speciality-based skills or the use or management of speciality-based technology (Capability 1.2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  5. Analyse the impact of illness and health care experience on the client/family (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 4.2 and 7.1)
  6. Evaluate the ethical and legal parameters of current nursing practice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 3.2 and 8.1)
  7. Demonstrate an understanding of scientific concepts and pathophysiological processes (Capability 4.2)
  8. Increase nurses' knowledge and use of applied science in caring for clients (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
  9. Apply this knowledge to clients' signs, symptoms and presentations (Capability 4.1 and 4.2)
  10. Relate the use and interpretations of diagnostic tests, for example, laboratory tests (Capability 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Presentation 30% Individual Coursework
Exam - Trauma 25% Individual Examination
Assignments 30% Individual Coursework
Test 15% Individual Test
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Presentation
Exam - Trauma
Assignments
Test

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures,  147 hours of reading, thinking, consolidating content and self-directed online learning and 132 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures may be available as recordings - however we cannot guarantee the quantity and quality of the recording. Some additional online self directed learning is required on top of the face-to-face classes. 
The course will not 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 recommended course text is Curtis, K. & Ramsden, C. (2024).  Emergency and Trauma Care for nurses and paramedics.  2nd Ed. Elsevier

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 rate this course favourably as it provides an opportunity to extend their emergency nursing speciality knowledge. 
We will continue to offer the course in the universal design for learning and assessment.
We will continue to offer current, relevant and applicable content.
We will continue to deliver the course using a variety of, and engaging, and approachable teaching staff.
We will continue to offer the course in a face-to-face mode, supported with online learning content.
We will review the resources available to support students with the OSCE.
We will endeavour to incorporate more regular breaks throughout the day to facilitate student engagement.

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.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (software or other) is not permitted for use on NURSPRAC 708. 

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.