NURSING 1012 - Aboriginal Healthcare

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025

This course provides students with knowledge and strategies to enable them to provide high quality clinical and cultural care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It promotes an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?s experiences of health and culture, and of Australia?s history. This will inform an understanding of the health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today, and the contribution that nurses can provide in primary and acute health care settings.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code NURSING 1012
    Course Aboriginal Healthcare
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Nursing School
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Bachelor of Nursing
    Assessment Quiz, Critical Reflection, Exam
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mrs Melissa Arnold-Ujvari

    School Office
    Phone: +61 8 8313 3595
    Email: nursing@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    1 Relate the impact of policies and history to the current cultural and health contexts of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the perceptions of health and wellbeing.
    2 Examine meanings of health and illness from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
    3 Recognise and appreciate the impact of social and cultural determinants of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
    4 Explain the importance of cultural awareness and cultural safety in relation to culturally appropriate care and service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
    5 Apply critical reflections on own values and attitudes towards cultural safety and the provision of health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
    6 Appreciate the experiences of Indigenous patients and their families when engaging with health services through health journey mapping.
    7 Identify effective strategies for health promotion and health maintenance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
    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)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    All

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    All

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    2,3,4,5,7

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    All

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    1,2,3,5,6,7

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    All

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    1, 7

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    3,5
  • Learning Resources
    Online Learning
    All lectures and activities provided for the course are designed to introduce the topic and to give some insights for students to further develop their knowledge. Content in the form of PowerPoint lectures or presentations, guest speakers, interviews and links to various other media are provided for students to access for each weeks’ module.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course will provide current, historical and cultural perspectives to inform a greater understanding of the health challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the contribution that nurses can provide in primary and acute health care.

    Aboriginal Healthcare involves a program of reading, on line resources and videos on MyUni in weekly modules, as well as interactive face to face lectures and tutorials which students are expected to engage with. Students will need to engage with material on Canvas prior to attending tutorials, and before completing assignments.

    Students are expected to engage with all materials, critically reflect on their own values and attitudes towards cultural safety, and discuss how quality health care can be provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.


    Workload

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

    Students would expect to study 12 hours per week throughout the duration of this course. Students are strongly advised to set aside a regular time for study and approach each weeks topic.
    Learning Activities Summary

    Blended learning activities are embedded throughout the course. Tutorials, lectures, videos, small group work and online quiz material are used to enhance student learning experiences.  

    Specific Course Requirements
    Students are required to attend the face to face tutorials.
    If they are unable to attend a tutorial they will need to contact the course coordinator for alternative learning options (for example watch a specific video).

  • 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

    Formative
    Practice Critical Reflection: 0%: Learning outcome 5

    Quiz - focus on content. 30%: Learning outcome - all

      Quiz 1 – for weeks 1 & 2        
      Quiz 2 – for weeks 3 & 4        
      Quiz 3 – for weeks 5 & 6

    Critical reflection assignment 40%: Learning outcome – all
             
      Reflection task 1  (20%)      
      Reflection task 2  (20%)     
     

    Application to practice interactive activity 30% Learning outcomes 4, 5, 6          
     
    Attendance and interaction at worksop (10%) 
    Written reflection on learning in workshop (20%)
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students are encouraged to complete all quizzes, critical reflection tasks and interactive activities.

    Assessment Detail
    Formative - Practice critical refleciton

    Quiz - focus on content (30%)
    - Quiz 1 – covers content in weeks 1 and 2
    - Quiz 2 – covers content in weeks 3 and 4
    - Quiz 3 – covers content from weeks 5 and 6

    Critical reflection (40%)

    Critical Reflection Task 1 (750 words and three references)
    Using Driscoll’s ‘What’ Reflective Model:
    Critically reflect over your worldview and how this has influenced your attitudes towards people who have a different cultural
    background to your own.

    Critical Reflection Task 2: (750 words and three references)
    Using Driscoll’s ‘What’ Reflective Model:
    Critically reflect on one reading,video or conversation that has influenced your thinking and perceptions about Aboriginal people and health care.

    Application to Practice Interactive activity (30%) 

    There are 2 parts to the application to practice activity
    Part 1: Interactive activity 10%
    Clinical yarning role play. Practice using ‘Yarn with me’ clinical yarning approach as described by Lin, Green and Bessarab  (2016). Students will pre read the article and engage with a role play using the three step social yarn, diagnostic yarn and management yarn.

    Small group work – Students will be encouraged to discuss the challenges they have faced and strategies they have used,
    encountered, or could use to embedcultural safety into clinical practice in a range of health care settings and situations. Aboriginal students will bring a unique perspective to this activity, and will be invited to share to the extent to which they are comfortable.

    Part 2: Written reflection on interactive workshop learning 20%
    Using Driscoll’s ‘What’ Reflective Model
    Critically reflect on one activity during the application to practice activities and how this has impacted you, your thinking and/or perceptions about embedding cultural safety into health care settings.
    Submission
    Unless otherwise indicated all submission of assignments is to be through the assignments portal of MyUni.
    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.

    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.

    The previous assignments were not working for individual students, nor for the increasing numbers of students. The critical reflection
    is now scaffolded throughout the course, enabling students to build their reflective skills over the semester, and the quiz’s modified so that students can more easily engage with all content.

    The course has been adjusted to better meet the learning needs of students, and enable students to interact more effectively with the course content and concepts in line with the requirements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curriculum Framework and the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives Guidelines.

  • 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.