This unit covers the assessment, diagnoses and management of medical and surgical conditions of circulatory, lymphatic, muscular/skeletal and gastrointestinal systems. The unit provides students with a comprehensive foundation for the assessment of patients/clients health status in order to determine and deliver competent nursing care based upon the goals of restoration, maintenance, and promotion of health and disease prevention. Students will explore competencies needed to identify health problems and use problem -solving approaches to manage patient care. They will be required to apply theoretical learning into practice and demonstrate therapeutic clinical nursing skills in patient care management. Medical Surgical Nursing is a core unit in the undergraduate Diploma in General nursing program. It lays the foundation of nursing practice.
The women’s health and neonate unit develop learner’s knowledge to further understand the major complications that occur during pregnancy and gain more knowledge about those conditions and assist in their management. The learners are also urging to take part in the prevention of those complications. It will also enable the learners to acquire knowledge and develop skills to identify patients’ needs during pregnancy. The learners are required to apply theoretical knowledge to practice and to demonstrate skills in patient care management. Since competency must be again observed in this programme, learner’s performance will be closely monitored and assessed to identify learner’s weakness and give appropriate coaching where necessary, both in theoretical and clinical areas. It is a continuation unit from unit code 214 in semester one, which ensures the well-being of women during pregnancy and labour, which is a major function of a nurse due to the high maternal mortality rate in PNG.
Paediatric Nursing Unit develops participants’ knowledge and skills to accurately identify, diagnose and manage disease and disorders of the body system of sick children, using the structured standards of the ten steps check list. The unit also develops the participants’ skill and knowledge to help prevent illness by educate and promoting healthy living for families in the community.
The epidemiology unit will enable the learners to collect, collate report and interpret health data as tools in achieving national health objectives. Furthermore, it provides and enhances the students in implementing the national health policies with a particular reference to the current National Health Plan 2001-2010. The health information system is well developed and provides information on patients and program coverage, targeted disease statistics, special reports and national surveys such as the national census and health surveys. This is to improve the quality of patient care and public health programs through the timely availability and use of reliable information.
The nursing research unit covers the theories and processes of research at a beginner’s level. It also introduces the process of writing a research proposal for a minor research. The unit enables students to understand the value of research in nursing and apply research techniques in their practice to improve the health of the people in communities and health settings. The nursing research is unit helps students to develop, explore and research new knowledge and apply research techniques to improve standards of nursing practice.
This unit teaches more advanced practical skills needed in the care of patients. Students will demonstrate therapeutic clinical nursing skills in patient care management to develop competence and confidence in applying advanced nursing skills. Nursing practice is a core unit in the undergraduate Diploma in General Nursing program. It lays the foundation for nursing practice and is a practical component of medical surgical nursing.