Course Title: Medical Surgical Nursing B

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Medical Surgical Nursing B

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Coordinator: TBC

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925

Course Coordinator Email: @rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Enforced Pre-Requisite Courses 

Successful completion of the following courses:

Note: it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course. 

For information go to RMIT Course Requisites webpage. 

Required Concurrent Study 

You should undertake the following courses at the same time as this course as it contains areas of knowledge and skills which are implemented together in practice. 

Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.  

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.   


Course Description

This course will build on the knowledge and skills you have learned in Medical and Surgical Nursing A. In this course you will consider nursing and associated care for patients with an increased variety of specific disease processes. You will utilise anatomy and physiology knowledge to understand the pathophysiological processes taking place in the patient. Your ability to initiate and undertake a variety of nursing interventions to contribute to clinical care of patients. Nursing skills will be further developed and enhanced in the simulated health environment. The course will require you to critically think and apply clinical reasoning to nursing practice.   


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course will contribute to Program Learning Outcomes for BP032P24 Bachelor of Nursing through the following learning outcomes: 

  • PLO1. Demonstrate a breadth and depth of nursing knowledge and concepts in a variety of real-world settings using an evidence-based approach   
  • PLO2. Apply evidence-based nursing knowledge to conceptualise and deliver safe and effective practice in a variety of contexts, independently and collaboratively, using emerging technological advancements  
  • PLO3. Generate and evaluate solutions to all aspects of interprofessional nursing practice while complying with ethical, legal, and regulatory standards  
  • PLO4. Communicate to diverse audiences employing integrity, inclusivity, and culturally safe practices to deliver quality patient care.  
  • PLO5. Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for professional decisions through critical thinking and reflection to resolve challenges as part of a multidisciplinary and interprofessional team  
  • PLO6. Evaluate and critically reflect on the concepts of reconciliation and cultural intelligence considering the experience and perspectives of health and wellbeing for First Nations people  
  • PLO7. Demonstrate professionalism through lifelong learning to deliver safe, quality, holistic, and person-centred nursing care  
  • PLO8. Examine and evaluate theories fundamental to lifespan development and practices that enhance lifespan transition, disability, and public health advocacy. 


On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:  

  1. Analyse the pathophysiological processes leading to acute and chronic disease presentations.    
  2. Implement nursing care of patients experiencing health alterations due to acute and chronic disease processes.  
  3. Research and apply evidence-based management to medical surgical patients from diverse communities working with the interdisciplinary team.   
  4. Demonstrate understanding of the nursing care of specific disease states commonly encountered in healthcare.   
  5. Validate health preservation and preventative person-centred care strategies to support medical surgical patients and their support networks. 
  6. Apply critical thinking, clinical reasoning and nursing skills required to respond to medical surgical patients with complex profiles including First Nations People and other under- represented groups.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as lectorials, tutorials, practicals, laboratories, seminars, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

This course contains hurdle requirements. All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Quiz  
Weighting 15% 
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6  

Assessment Task 2: Case Study Assignment 
Weighting 30% 
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 

Assessment Task 3: Vsim and Theory Assessment 
Weighting 25% 
This assessment task supports CLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

Assessment Task 4: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Simulated Health Environments learning attendance (Hurdle)
Weighting 30% 
This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.