Unit Overview

Description

This unit prepares students with foundational knowledge enabling them to undertake comprehensive and systematic advanced health assessment and pharmacotherapeutic decision-making for culturally safe and high-quality prescribing practice.

Teaching and learning synopsis:

  • Global nurse prescribing
  • Introduction to Designated Registered Nurse Prescribing endorsement standard and National Prescribing Competency Framework.
  • Person-centred prescribing practice.
  • Cultural safety and inclusion for prescribing practice.
  • Prescribing practice for vulnerable populations.
  • Safe and Quality Use of Medicines.
  • Medicines information resources.
  • Medicines funding models.
  • Introduction to pharmacotherapeutics.
  • Advanced pathophysiological processes.
  • Comprehensive and systematic advanced health assessment adopting a person-centred care approach.
  • Literature searching and critical review of the literature.
  • Using advanced clinical reasoning to understand diagnoses, plan and implement person-centred pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
Credit
6 points
Offering
AvailabilityLocationModeFirst year of offer
Not available in 2026OnlineOnline only
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate capability to engage in self-reflection and lifelong learning through a spirit of inquiry and an ongoing commitment to ensuring capability for practice in self and others; (2) interpret pathophysiological processes and clinical assessment findings to inform pharmacotherapeutic decision-making for patients/clients; (3) integrate advanced health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical decision-making to select, prescribe, monitor and evaluate medications safely using a culturally safe, person-centred approach in accordance with state and territory legislation; and (4) apply regulatory, medico-legal, ethical and legislative principles underpinning the quality use of medicines in registered nurse prescribing practice.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) portfolio and (2) viva. Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the portfolio and viva components.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)
Professor Olivia Gallagher
Unit rules
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
92230 Graduate Certificate in Designated Registered Nurse Prescribing
Co-requisites
Enrolment in
NURS5002 Nurse Prescribing Governance and Leadership
Approved quota: 260—priority quotas will be established for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and rural and remote applicants. Remaining quota will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Contact hours
Synchronous online tutorials: 2 hours/ week
Note
This unit prepares students with foundational knowledge enabling them to undertake comprehensive and systematic advanced health assessment and pharmacotherapeutic decision-making for culturally safe and high-quality prescribing practice.
  • The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
  • All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
  • Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
  • Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.