Unit Outline
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FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
School of NURSING, MIDWIFERY & PARAMEDICINE
NATIONAL
SEMESTER 1, 2022
HLSC122
EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE
UNIT OUTLINE
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Credit points: 10
Prerequisites/incompatibles: Nil
National Lecturer in Charge: A/P Vasiliki Betihavas
Office location: North Sydney
Email: XXXXXXXXXX
Telephone: XXXXXXXXXX
Contact me: Please contact your campus LIC via email
Teaching team:
Campus Name Email
Ballarat Chris Martin XXXXXXXXXX
Blacktown Emily Weston XXXXXXXXXX
Brisbane Paula Johnston XXXXXXXXXX
Canbe
a Lucy Sewdarsen XXXXXXXXXX
Melbourne Amanda Waters XXXXXXXXXX
North Sydney Vasiliki Betihavas XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
mailto: XXXXXXXXXX
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Mode: Online lectures and face to face tutorials
Attendance pattern: weekly online activities including pre-recorded lectures; weekly face to face
tutorials and online activities
Duration: 10-week semester. You should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of required study for a
10-credit point unit including lesson attendance, readings and assignment preparation.
UNIT RATIONALE, DESCRIPTION AND AIM
It is a professional and pragmatic requirement that all healthcare professionals have the necessary
skills to deliver evidence based, critically appraised, best practice. As the practice of all health care
professionals in some way relates to the wellness of others, the ability to source and critically consume
elevant literature related to practice is critical for optimum outcomes. Skills developed in this unit are
equired to assist students to start building knowledge which will guide their future practice as a health
care professional.
This unit provides foundational knowledge and skills for sourcing, appraising and reflecting on
literature and information sources used in the health care environment. To assist health students to
deliver evidence based care, approaches to knowledge development in the health disciplines,
including the generation of new knowledge, the refinement of practice and the delivery of quality care
are explored. The application of research knowledge to the provision of evidence-based health care
will be evaluated through a process of critical appraisal. The unit will introduce students to the concept
of the 4 A’s of research – Awareness, Appreciation, Application and Ability. Students will also develop
fundamental skills for accessing information by asking a question, and using that question to search
for, find, and evaluate information.
Skills developed in this unit will provide health students with the ability to source credible and
appropriate information which they will use to build their discipline specific knowledge across their
undergraduate program and take into their future practice as a health care professional.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. identify health care situations and contexts where evidence-based practice can be applied;
(GA4)
2. critically discuss the factors which influence the use of evidence-based practice to deliver
est management practices across a range of health care settings; (GA3, GA4)
3. describe the range of information sources and levels of evidence to inform health practice;
(GA4, GA8)
4. demonstrate foundational level skills in accessing, appreciating and applying evidence from
a range of sources to inform health practice; (GA4, GA8, GA9)
5. apply information literacy capabilities to the construction of evidence-based practice. (GA10)
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GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Each unit in your course contributes in some way to the development of the ACU Graduate Attributes
which you should demonstrate by the time you complete your course. All Australian universities have
their expected graduate attributes – ACU’s Graduate Attributes have a greater emphasis on ethical
ehaviour and community responsibility than those of many other universities. All of your units will
enable you to develop some attributes.
On successful completion of this unit, students should have developed their ability to:
GA3 apply ethical perspectives in informed decision-making
GA4 think critically and reflectively
GA8 locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information.
GA9 demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual
media
GA10 utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
CONTENT
Topics will include:
• Identifying and accessing high-quality information
o How to find cu
ent, best evidence
o Sources of knowledge
• 4 A’s of research (awareness, appreciation, application, ability) and their relevance to
evidence-based-practice.
o Awareness: Reflecting, analysing and problem-solving
â–ª Critical thinking
â–ª Clinical judgement (technical and situation based judgement)
â–ª What is appropriate evidence?
o Appreciation: Judging the appropriateness of evidence.
â–ª Types of knowledge, their development and application
â–ª The evidence hierarchies and using them to rank evidence
o Application: using evidence in clinical practice.
â–ª How evidence is used in clinical practice
• The influence of evidence in guiding patient journeys through the health care system
o The influence of online information and popular media on patient choices
o Complementary and alternative therapies
o Considering patient choices when developing evidence-based care
o Ensuring quality, consistent, evidence-based care
• Evidence-based health care
o Identifying the need for information and evidence
o The notion of best available evidence
o Best practice guidelines and Clinical Practice Guidelines
o Continuous quality improvement
o The ethical application of evidence
https:
www.studentportal.acu.edu.au/ACUInfo/cau/graduate-attributes
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LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY AND RATIONALE
ON-CAMPUS MODE
This unit requires students to undertake 150 hours of focused learning to achieve the unit learning
outcomes. Learning associated with this unit incorporates face-to-face teaching activities, online
activities, preparation and generation of assessment items and self-directed study. Students are
expected to take responsibility for their individual learning and to participate actively within group
activities.
ONLINE MODE
The on-line mode is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Paramedicine (Professional Entry).
Learner-centred online resource sessions are used to support your acquisition of content. These help
prepare you for the online tutorials in which this content is considered more interactively. Tutorials are
therefore used to help you make sense of the materials. Web-based learning and critical thinking
activities are offered to help support self-study outside of tutorials and to further the development of
your conceptual understanding.
Students entering university need significant support to transition into a learning and teaching
environment where they are required to drive their own learning. To guide students in their learning
feedback is required to identify what is being done well, what requires additional work and to identify
progress toward required learning outcomes. Located in the first year of the programme, this theory
unit includes significant face-to-face teaching hours and a directed online component to introduce
students to managing their study off-campus. Lectures are utilised to convey content and its central
principles while tutorials deliver interactive learning sessions which include formative feedback to build
foundational tertiary study skills while also providing an opportunity to establish group-work and
learning community skills. Online materials are introduced to provide students with a foundation for
ongoing, directed, self-motivated study.
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STUDENT FEEDBACK
This unit has been evaluated through the ‘Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching’ (SELT) online
surveys.
Resources within this unit, including journal articles and videos, have been amended to reflect the
diverse health disciplines of students enrolled in this unit.
Learning activities have been designed to build critical appraisal, support the development of
academic writing.
The LEO site has been overhauled to promote effective communication to students and access to
esources and weekly material.
Assessments have been modified to support student learning and student application of theoretical
content.
SELT surveys are usually conducted at the end of the teaching period. Your practical and constructive
feedback is valuable to improve the quality of the unit. Please ensure you complete the SELT survey
for the unit. You can also provide feedback at other times to the unit lecturers, course coordinators
and/or through student representatives.
LECTURE CAPTURE
Lectures will be pre-recorded and