Unit rationale, description and aim
Contemporary nursing is shaped by rapidly evolving healthcare systems, growing health inequities, and increasing cultural diversity. Nurses must navigate these complexities while ensuring culturally safe and equitable care, particularly for Australian First Nations peoples who continue to experience the impacts of historical and systemic disadvantage.
This unit examines the realities of modern nursing practice, focusing on culturally responsive care, clinical decision‑making, interprofessional collaboration, and leadership. It incorporates exploration of equity issues, digital integration in healthcare, and the critical role of innovation in improving patient outcomes across diverse populations.
The aim of this unit is to develop advanced nursing capabilities that enable students to deliver culturally safe, evidence‑informed, and collaborative care, empowering them to lead practice improvements and address contemporary health challenges affecting all communities, including Australian First Nations peoples.
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.
Analyse epidemiological concepts and determinants ...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse and evaluate contemporary nursing issues i...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically evaluate the impact of digital innovati...
Learning Outcome 03
Propose pragmatic solutions to address contemporar...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Epidemiology
- Influences on population health
- Burden of disease
- Determinants of health
- Social determinants of health
- Health and wellbeing of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Indigenous perspectives of health and wellbeing
- Connection to country & identity
- Health disparities and historical trauma
- Current health outcomes and access to care
- Cultural awareness vs cultural competency vs cultural safety
- Health disparity and equity
- Defining health disparity and equity
- Populations at risk
- Contributing factors
- Contemporary nursing issues
- Aging population
- Mental health
- Chronic disease management
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Workforce/burnout
- Digital innovation and technology
- Digital Health "Thinking"
- Health Data Handling
- Electronic Medical/Health Records
- Connected Health Care
- Artificial Intelligence in Health
- Clinical leadership/clinical decision making
- Clinical leadership in nursing
- Reflective practice and lifelong learning
- Clinical decision making & barriers and enablers
- Advocacy and health promotion
- Empowerment
- Conflict resolution
- Resilience
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass the unit students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.
This unit includes two assessment tasks designed to develop critical thinking, cultural responsiveness, and application of contemporary nursing knowledge.
- ePoster: Students will create a digital poster critically analysing a contemporary nursing issue, using epidemiological evidence and social determinants of health, with relevance to a disease affecting Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The poster will evaluate implications for nursing practice and present information clearly and professionally.
- Project: Students will critically analyse a contemporary nursing issue, evaluate the impact of digital innovation and emerging technologies, and propose an evidence-based, pragmatic solution. The task develops skills in evidence-informed practice, ethical reasoning, and application of digital health in complex nursing contexts.
Both assessments encourage autonomy, evidence-informed decision-making, and reflective practice. They are scaffolded to support students in applying advanced theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges and contribute to the development of safe, inclusive, and responsive nursing care.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 - ePoster Students will develo...
Assessment Task 1 - ePoster
Students will develop a digital poster that critically analyses a contemporary nursing issue using epidemiological evidence and the social determinants of health, with a specific focus on an issue that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This assessment requires students to synthesise current data, evaluate the implications for nursing practice and apply critical reflective practice to influence social change, while communicating complex information in a clear and professional format.
50%
Assessment Task 2 - Written Project Students wil...
Assessment Task 2 - Written Project
Students will critically analyse and evaluate a contemporary issue in nursing practice and will examine the impact of digital innovation and emerging technologies on this issue. Based on this analysis, students will propose a pragmatic, evidence-based solution that addresses the identified issue. This assessment aims to develop students’ capacity to apply evidence-informed practice, ethical reasoning, and digital health knowledge to complex, real-world challenges in nursing.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is delivered online using an active, inclusive, and collaborative learning approach to support students in critically engaging with contemporary nursing issues. Learning activities are designed to foster deep exploration of topics such as digital health integration, epidemiology, clinical decision-making, health equity and culturally safe care, particularly in relation to Australian First Nations peoples.
Students will participate in structured readings, interactive e-learning modules, and peer collaboration to analyse current nursing practices and healthcare challenges. Reflective and experiential learning is promoted through asynchronous discussion forums and synchronous webinars, where students share insights and apply knowledge to diverse clinical contexts.
Flexibility is embedded through recorded webinars and self-paced activities, supporting varied learner needs and professional commitments. This approach encourages autonomy, critical thinking, and the application of advanced theoretical knowledge to complex and evolving healthcare environments.