Unit rationale, description and aim
Neurological conditions present complex clinical, psychosocial, and cultural challenges that require nurses to apply advanced knowledge and evidence-based practice. As care options evolve, neuroscience nurses must critically analyse clinical information, integrate bioscience concepts, and deliver people-centred care that supports patients and families across the continuum of health and illness. This unit prepares students to meet these demands through deeper expertise and strengthened clinical decision-making skills.
This unit equips students with advanced knowledge and clinical reasoning skills essential for neuroscience nursing practice. It emphasises the integration of bioscience concepts and evidence-based approaches to support informed decision-making in complex neurological care. Students will critically examine the role and scope of the neuroscience nurse in optimising patient outcomes, while exploring the physical, psychosocial, and cultural dimensions of illness and comorbidities. Through analysis of preventative, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative strategies, learners will develop the ability to design, justify, and evaluate people-centred care, tailored to diverse health status variations, ensuring safe, ethical, and effective management of neurological conditions.
The aim of this unit is to strengthen students’ advanced knowledge, critical analysis, and clinical reasoning in neuroscience nursing, enabling them to apply evidence-based and people-centred approaches that improve outcomes for people with complex neurological conditions.
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 糖心原创 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 ne...
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 Neuroscience Nursing Practice
- Definition and clinical relevance of professional identity
- Role and scope of the neuroscience nurse
- Clinical decision making and accountability
- Professional standards and frameworks
- Family centred care and culturally responsive care
- Review of Neuroscience Bioscience Concepts
- Brain anatomy and physiology
- Neurons and glial cells
- Cranial nerves overview
- Cerebral circulation: Circle of Willis, regulation of CBF (cerebral blood flow)
- Protection and support: CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), meninges, BBB (blood brain barrier), ventricular system
- Neurological assessment: physical exam, diagnostics, imaging, cerebral oxygenation
- BOC (behaviours of concern): sensory changes, memory, attention, communication challenges
- Intracranial Dynamics and Neuroprotective Strategies
- Intracranial hypertension, compliance, elastance
- Volume pressure curve, Monroe-Kellie hypothesis
- Cerebral oedema: types and treatments
- Hydrocephalus: manifestations and management
- Neuroprotective strategies: airway, PaCO2, perfusion pressure, fluids, sedation, seizure and glucose control
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Acute Neurological Disorders
- TBI: Primary vs secondary injury, mechanisms
- Ischaemia & hypoxia, abnormal autoregulation
- Post traumatic amnesia
- Herniation, autoregulation, compensation
- Surgical interventions: EVD, VP shunts, lumbar drains
- Postoperative nursing assessment and management
- Degenerative and Structural Neurological Disorders
- CNS malformations: Myelomeningocele
- Degenerative disorders: Parkinson’s, MS (multiple sclerosis), MND (motor neuron disease), Huntington’s, CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), Guillain-Barré, Myasthenia Gravis
- Medical and nursing assessment and management
- Space-occupying lesions: gliomas, astrocytomas, pituitary tumours
- Endocrine complications: DI (diabetes insipidus), SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone)
- Cerebrovascular Disorders – SAH, Aneurysms, AVMs
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage and aneurysms: types, causes, pathophysiology
- Arteriovenous malformations: diagnosis and management
- Post-op care and complications
- Stroke care: nursing and medical assessment and management
- Subdural and epidural haematomas: classifications, diagnostics, management
- Spinal Neuroscience and Surgical Management
- Spinal surgery: indications, types, minimally invasive techniques
- Pre- and post-operative nursing care
- Spinal and neurogenic shock
- Spinal precautions and technological advancements
- Professional concepts in post-op care
- Disorders or Consciousness and Cranial Nerve Dysfunction
- Coma: pathophysiology, manifestations, assessment, management
- Brain death: criteria, ethical considerations
- Cranial nerve disorders: Bell’s Palsy, Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Communication and escalation strategies with patients, families, and teams
- Seizure Disorders and Emergency Neurological Management
- Seizures: ILAE classification, aetiology
- Epilepsy: diagnosis, medical and surgical management
- Emergency seizure management
- Integration of neuroprotective strategies in acute seizure care
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 neuroscience patients and their families.
Through the undertaking of two assessment tasks, students will critically reflect their role as a specialist neuroscience 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 neuroscience nurse in improving patient outcomes across neuroscience healthcare 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 neuroscience case study patient with a variation in health status and demonstrate critical reflection on their role as a specialist neuroscience 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 neurological 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, 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 person-centred care to neuroscience 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 assist students to link knowledge and skills to the neuroscience nursing context, and to develop shared meanings through online reflections and discussions.