Unit rationale, description and aim
Renal conditions and kidney disease present complex clinical, psychosocial, and cultural challenges that require nurses to apply advanced bioscience knowledge and evidence-based practice. As treatment options in renal care continue to evolve, renal specialist nurses must critically analyse clinical information, respond to comorbidities, and deliver person-centred care that supports patients and families across all stages of kidney disease. This unit prepares students to meet these demands through advanced understanding and enhanced clinical decision-making skills.
This unit develops advanced knowledge and skills for renal specialist nursing practice. Students will analyse the role and scope of the renal nurse and examine the physical, psychosocial, and cultural impacts of kidney disease and associated comorbidities on individuals and their families. The unit emphasises evaluating evidence-based approaches to preventative, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative care across the renal care continuum. Through case analysis and applied clinical reasoning, students will design, justify, and evaluate holistic, people-centred care strategies that respond to variations in renal function and changing health status.
The aim of this unit is to advance students’ knowledge, critical analysis, and clinical reasoning in renal nursing, enabling them to apply evidence-based and person-centred approaches that improve outcomes for people living with complex renal conditions.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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.
Critically apply advanced knowledge of bioscience ...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically reflect on the role and scope of the sp...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse the physical, psychosocial, and cultural i...
Learning Outcome 03
Analyse evidence-based approaches to preventative,...
Learning Outcome 04
Apply advanced clinical reasoning to design, justi...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Professional Identity in Advanced Renal Nursing
- Definition and importance of professional identity
- Role and scope of the specialist renal nurse
- Clinical decision making and accountability
- Professional standards and frameworks
- Family centred care and culturally responsive care
- Renal Disorders
- Overview of advanced renal anatomy and physiology
- Glomerular disorders: nephrotic and nephritic syndromes
- Hypertension and resistant hypertension
- Cystic and polycystic nephritis
- Reflux nephropathy
- Impact on patients and families: navigating diagnosis and early symptoms
- Diabetic Nephropathy
- Pathophysiology and progression
- Risk factors and complications
- Strategies for prevention, assessment and management
- Impact on patients and families: lifestyle changes and long-term monitoring
- Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) – Pre-Renal Causes
- Classification
- Sepsis and cardiorenal syndrome
- Pathophysiology and progression
- Risk factors and diagnostic approaches
- Assessment and management
- Impact on patients and families: sudden deterioration and hospitalisation
- Acute Kidney Injury – Intrarenal and Postrenal Causes
- Tubulo-interstitial disorders
- Nephrotoxins and acute tubular necrosis
- Pyelonephritis, myeloma kidney, cystic diseases
- Urinary tract obstruction, infections, cancer, calculi
- Assessment and management
- Impact on patients and families: uncertainty and complex care needs
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End-Stage Kidney Disease
- Staging
- Pathophysiology and progression
- Assessment and management of CKD and cardiac comorbidities
- Pre dialysis considerations
- Transition to end-stage kidney disease
- Impact on patients and families: coping with progressive decline and future planning
- Renal Replacement Therapies
- Haemodialysis and vascular access
- General principles of dialysis
- Hemodiafiltration and components of system
- Types of vascular access devices
- Peritoneal dialysis and complications
- Fluid and electrolyte management
- Supportive care: symptom control, advance care planning, palliative care
- Impact on patients and families: treatment burden and quality of life
- Renal Transplantation and Immunological Considerations
- Transplantation: deceased/live donors, ABO-incompatible, paired exchange
- Pre and post operative care requirements
- HLA sensitivity and post-transplant care
- Immunological management
- Impact on patients and families: hope, anxiety, and long-term adjustment
- Pharmacology in Advanced Practice
- Drugs for electrolytes, BP, bone health, blood cells (e.g. ARBs/ACEs, SGLT2)
- Nephrology-specific pharmacological considerations
- Immunosuppressive therapy
- Advanced practice roles in medication management
- Impact on patients and families: medication adherence and safety
Assessment strategy and rationale
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.
The assessment strategy is designed to scaffold learning and progressively build students’ advanced knowledge and application of clinical and evidence-based practice with a focus on the care of complex renal patients and their families.
Through the undertaking of two assessment tasks, students will critically reflect their role as a specialist renal nurse in improving patient outcomes, apply advanced bioscientific knowledge of complex health conditions and demonstrate clinical reasoning while applying holistic care principle. The second assessment task requires students to independently produce original work that integrates advanced bioscience knowledge, evidence-based practice, and patient-centred clinical decision-making. Both assessment tasks promote analytical thinking, reflection, and evaluation of people-centred care.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Digital Presentation The stud...
Assessment Task 1: Digital Presentation
The student will critically reflect on their role as a specialist renal nurse in improving patient outcomes in renal care settings, demonstrating the ability to critically apply advanced bioscience knowledge and evaluate evidence-based practice to inform clinical decision-making.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Written Assignment Enables st...
Assessment Task 2: Written Assignment
Enables students to critically apply advanced knowledge and clinical reasoning through analysis and evaluation of the evidence-based, people-centred care provided to a complex renal case study patient with variation in health status and demonstrate critical reflection on their role as a specialist renal nurse.
70%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered in online mode and uses an active and collaborative learning approach to support students to analyse and critically evaluate approaches to providing evidence-based, ethical nursing care for renal patients. Students will engage in readings and reflections, e-Learning activities and opportunities to collaborate with peers in an online environment. This can involve, but is not limited to, online discussion forums, chat rooms, guided reading and webinar sessions. In addition, e-Learning and links to electronic readings will be provided to guide students’ reading and extend other aspects of online learning.
Through an online learning platform, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the complexity of delivering people-centred care to renal patients. Online learning in this unit will be supported by the provision of opportunities for students to attend online webinar sessions that allow synchronous exchange of information and facilitate responses to queries generated by students in relation to unit content. For those unable to participate in synchronous webinar sessions, recordings will be available.
Students are required to complete online activities and assessments to demonstrate the application of knowledge. The learning and teaching strategy used in this unit allows flexibility for students while ensuring they have expert support. These modes of delivery assists students to link knowledge and skills to the renal nursing context, and to develop shared meanings through online reflections and discussions.