Unit rationale, description and aim
To prevent and manage diseases, promote health and care for their patients/clients, health professionals need to understand disease processes and drug action.
In this unit students extend their knowledge of the human body by developing an understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology with respect to Australian health priorities. The influence of lifespan changes, as well as drug administration, will be discussed in these contexts. Basic principles of microbiology will also be linked to infection control practices.
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the scientific knowledge necessary to understand disease processes, identify associated risk factors, and explore their prevention and management, including pharmacological treatment options, to ensure successful progression in their respective courses.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe basic principles of pharmacology.
Learning Outcome 01
Describe the pathophysiology of selected Australia...
Learning Outcome 02
Explain how physiological changes that occur acros...
Learning Outcome 03
Relate microbiological principles to infection con...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Principles of pathophysiology
- Inflammation and cell death
- Oedema
- Healing
- Thrombosis
Principles of pharmacology
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacodynamics
- Adverse drug reactions
- Drug interactions
- Selected drug groups based on Australian health priorities.
Microbiological principles
- Prevention and control of infection
Australian health priority areas
- Asthma
- Arthritis and selected musculoskeletal conditions
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular health
- Diabetes mellitus
- Dementia and selected mental health problems
- Obesity
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to successfully complete this unit, students must obtain an aggregate mark of equal to or greater than 50% for the assessment tasks.
The assessment strategy allows students to progressively develop their knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology. The first assessment task is divided into two parts and primarily focusses on knowledge acquisition and assimilation. Part A is a low weighting quiz which assesses basic principles of pathophysiology and pharmacology. This is an early assessment task which enables students to receive early feedback regarding their progress in this unit. Part B requires students to relate basic pathophysiology and pharmacology principles to certain Australian health priority areas. The vodcast assessment task requires students to produce a voice recording with accompanying visual material based on a person with a disease/condition identified as a health priority area. This assessment task allows students to apply their knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology to a real situation. The final assessment task, a written examination, assesses integration and application of key concepts covered in this unit.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 - Quizzes Part A This quiz en...
Assessment Task 1 - Quizzes
Part A
This quiz enables students to use appropriate resources to demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of pathophysiology and pharmacology, including lifespan influences on drug administration.
Part B
This quiz enables students to relate disease processes to clinical outcomes and pharmacological management of selected Australian health priorities.
15%
20%
Assessment Task 2 - Vodcast The vodcast is an or...
Assessment Task 2 - Vodcast
The vodcast is an oral presentation that enables students to apply their understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology in a real life-like scenario by introducing a person who suffers from diseases identified as Australian health priorities.
25%
Assessment Task 3 - Examination The final assess...
Assessment Task 3 - Examination
The final assessment task enables students to showcase their critical thinking skills to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply key concepts covered in this unit.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. Learning and teaching strategies include a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Online learning activities, including videos, readings and interactive activities convey necessary information so that students can build foundational knowledge, make connections between different ideas and reflect on their understanding. In workshop classes, students work collaboratively in a supported environment and engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, and problem solving to promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Case studies are also used so that students can test and apply their understanding in real world-like scenarios.
NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Registered Nurse Standards for Practice developed in this unit are:
NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice
Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic
The Paramedicine Board of Australia is responsible for assessing, consulting on and setting the standards for paramedics practicing in Australia. These standards and relevant domains are articulated in the Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic document. The learning outcomes of this unit are matched to the relevant capabilities, in order to align your development with the requirements of a paramedic.