NURSING 7110 - Fundamentals of Burns Nursing

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2015

This course will examine nursing and medical science in relation to burn management and the principles of burn nursing in the adult and paediatric settings. It will have both theoretical and clinical components supported by online tutorials. Topics will include pathophysiology, emergency management, wound management and surgical interventions. Students will also be expected to complete a range of clinical competencies throughout the course.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code NURSING 7110
    Course Fundamentals of Burns Nursing
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Flexible delivery mode with online classroom tutorials
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Available to M.NursSc students only
    Assessment Poster, essay, clinical diary and online participation (80% attendance required)
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr Paul McLiesh

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Demonstrate and analyse the assessment and treatment of burns.
    2 Discuss contemporary clinical burns practice that will ensure quality care.
    3 Explain the pathophysiology of burn injury.
    4 Debate evidence based theory that supports burns nurse practice.
    5 plan, prioritise, implement and evaluate appropriate care.
    6 explain the concepts that make burns nursing unique and design care that is effectively provided in conjunction with the team. .
    7 locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1-3
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 4, 7
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 4-5
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 5-6
    A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 4
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 6-7
    A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 6-7
    An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Herndon, D 2007, Total burn care, 3rd edn, Elsevier, Philadelphia.
    Copies of this text will be available for student loan by negotiation with the course coordinator. Please contact the course coordinator.

    Carrougher, G 1998, Burn care and therapy, Mosby, Missouri.
    Although this text is 12 years old, it is the only textbook specific to burns nursing.
    Recommended Resources
    Sood, R 2006, Achauer and Sood’s burn surgery, reconstruction and rehabilitation, 1st edn, Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia.

    Note: You are not required to buy recommended texts. However, they provide valuable supplementary reading on various aspects of the material covered within this course and you are encouraged to have a look at them. You may find them available in your hospital or burns unit library.

    Reader
    The readings for this course are available electronically via MyUni.
    Online Learning
    Online Tutorials
    Online Classroom
    The online classroom (OC) technology will be used for lectures and tutorial discussions on a weekly basis each Wednesday from 11:00 – 13:00 (SA time) during this semester. You need to familiarise yourself with this technology to become reasonably comfortable with using it prior to the start of the semester.
    Participation in the OC lectures/tutorials is vital in making this course a constructive and enjoyable learning experience. No less than 80% attendance is acceptable. In the event that you are unable to attend the OC please inform the Course Coordinator prior to the session so that this can be recorded. To access your OC follow the link provided on MyUni.

    MyUni
    All students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework nursing program have access to the School of Nursing – Postgraduate Coursework Student Centre on MyUni. If you would like the opportunity to network with other students, you can use the Communication features in the site. This site will also feature information about the latest news and events at the School of Nursing.

    Unified
    http://unified.adelaide.edu.au/
    UNIFIED is your one-stop shop for email, calendar, MyUni and Access Adelaide. It even allows you to search the Library.
    UNIFIED is available to all active students; with a single login you can access your student systems and personal information through a central website. Login with your Student ID ("a1234567") and Password.

    For more information, including easy to follow instructions visit https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/web/mycampus/home.

    Library Resources
    Help for Nursing Students
    The University of Adelaide Library has a website to help nursing students use the library and its resource (www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/med/nursing).

    Remote student library service
    The University of Adelaide Library provides a document delivery and loans service to non-metropolitan students who do not visit a University of Adelaide campus to attend classes (www.adelaide.edu.au/library/docdel/external.html).
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course will be delivered through the Flexible delivery mode with online Classroom contact. Students will be required to attend tutorials via the online classroom.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    While all students work at a different pace it is expected that study for this course will be approximately 24 hours per week of your time. This is a rough guide and may vary for students who have not studied recently.
    Learning Activities Summary
    This course will cover the practical issues that burns nurses face on a daily basis. Students will be expected to share current practices, discuss new ideas and integrate evidence based practice into their clinical setting.

    Specifically, the course content addresses:
    • the importance of, and resources for, assessment of the history of the burn injury
    • practical application of first aid and emergency management
    • assessment of total burn surface area in both the adult and child with a burn injury
    • calculation of the fluid requirements for the adult or child with a burn injury
    • assessment, care and evaluation of the burn wound
    • specific burn injuries
    • burns of special areas
    • assessment, care and evaluation of wound closure materials including skin grafts, cultured epithelial autograft and skin substitutes
    • perioperative care
    • paediatric burn management

    Every endeavour will be made to present material that reflects current knowledge. In addition, reference will be made to current research in topics that are being addressed. The overall aim is to provide knowledge on what is currently believed to be best clinical practice in the international world of burns nursing care.

    The course coordinator is supported with advice and clinical acumen from clinical title holders/mentors who are a valuable part of the course team. They should be utilised by students as they are a valuable resource with a wealth of experience.

    The specialist burns nurse requires advanced knowledge of burn injury and the appropriate management strategies to ensure optimal treatment of these injuries. In this course we will cover a variety of topics which shape and direct the activities of burns nurses as they practice in health services. We will consider the pathophysiology of burn injury, as well as assessment and treatment.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
    Burns Nursing quiz Formative 0%
    Essay Summative 35% 1, 4-6
    Poster Summative 25% 4, 6
    Portfolio Summative 40% 1-3
    Clinical Diary Summative 0% 6
    Assessment Detail
    Plagiarism and referencing module

    In order to avoid plagiarism, students need to understand the meaning of citation, paraphrasing, quotation, and referencing. The module is an online quiz designed to ensure that student work is not plagiarised and source material is properly acknowledged according to the guidelines in the School Academic Manual. Students are encouraged to work through this quiz as many times as they need to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of these guidelines.
    The module is used as a formative assessment that has no percentage allocated to a final grade


    Poster (2000) word equivalent) − 25%: The poster is designed to encourage students to produce a teaching tool for staff within their area. The material must relate to course material, current burns nursing practice and the context in which the student works. It must be aimed at professional education in the context of the clinical practice setting. Students are encouraged to use this assignment as a draft for a poster presentation at the annual Australian and New Zealand Burns Association National Conference.

    Portfolio (3000 words) − 40%: Students are expected to submit a compiled document of portfolio activities from the study guide. They are encouraged to plan their work and complete activities on a week by week basis.

    Essay (2500 words) − 35%: Students will complete an essay looking at the management of a burns patient. This will include material from their tutorials throughout the course.

    Clinical Diary (ongoing throughout the year): While this is a non-assessed piece of work, the diary enables students to keep a record of their clinical practice during their enrolment in the Graduate Diploma. The performance criteria provide minimal standards for clinical experience that will best complement their academic studies.
    Submission
    Assessment Submission
    Assessments, unless otherwise stated in your Study guide, are to be submitted electronically via Assignments in MyUni on the due date identified in this Study guide. Instructions for assignment submission are available for all students under Tutorials at www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/.
    An assessment submitted via MyUni must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file. If submitting a PowerPoint presentation for marking, the .ppt or .pptx must be submitted as .pdf file. It is also important to submit your file under your name, such as surname.firstname. MyUni stamps all the other details against your filename once you submit your assessment.

    Turnitin is used to submit all assignments in this course. Turnitin is a plagiarism software tool that enables the student to identify any matching text before final submission.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Plagiarism
    Students are reminded that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a serious offence and can result in disciplinary procedures. Students are advised to read the policy Academic Honesty and Assessment Obligations for Coursework Students Policy & Coursework Students: Academic Dishonesty Procedures policy, available at www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/. The following definitions should be noted.

    Referencing: providing a full bibliographic reference to the source of the citation (in a style as determined by the School).
    Quotation: placing an excerpt from an original source into a paper using either quotation marks or indentation, with the source cited, using an approved referencing system in order to give credit to the original author.
    Paraphrasing: repeating a section of text using different words which retain the original meaning.
    Please note: changing just a few words does not constitute paraphrasing.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.