UNIT CODE: NURS13144
UNIT TITLE: Preparation for practice as a Registered Nurse
Assessment One – Case study
Type: Written Assessment – Responding to a Case Study
Due date: 4pm (AEST) Monday 28th August 2023 (Week 7)
Weighting: 50%
Length: 1200 words (± 10%)
Unit Coordinators: Natalie Browning and Chanchal Kurup
Course Learning Outcome Assessed
1. Identify transitional challenges that you may experience in your transition
from student to registered nurse and explain the skills and strategies you
may require to manage this transition
2. Explore power differentials that can exist within healthcare organisations
and the tensions that may arise from these
3. Identify leadership roles undertaken by graduate registered nurses and
discuss the skills required to undertake these roles
4. Analyse how the knowledge of governance systems can support the
graduate registered nurse to provide safe patient care
Aim
Transitioning from a student to a registered nurse can be challenging. Managing a
complex patient load, working within a team, adapting to the organisational culture,
and taking responsibility for your actions are skills many graduate registered nurses
are underprepared for. This assessment asks you to explore a fictional case study and
examine transitional challenges, power differentials, leadership skills, and governance
systems in the context of a newly graduated registered nurse.
Instructions
Taylor is a graduate registered nurse completing a full-time graduate program in a
large regional hospital in Australia. Last week, Taylor started a rotation in the
neurosurgical ward, after three months in the endoscopy unit. The neurosurgical ward
uses a team nursing model of care, where a registered nurse and an enrolled nurse
work together to care for eight acutely unwell patients. The ward is supported by
assistants-in-nursing who provide assistance with activities of daily living for patients.
A senior registered nurse acts as team leader each shift and provides oversight and
guidance for challenging and unexpected situations.
Taylor writes in a journal daily. Their most recent journal entry is below:

Write a short response to each question below, based on Taylor’s journal entry. Each
question requires a short response of approximately 300 words(± 10%), for a total of
1200 words. Please include all four responses in a single Microsoft Word document,
ensuring that each question is written in full prior to the corresponding answer.
1) Identify and analyse one transitional challenge Taylor is experiencing as a
graduate registered nurse. Explain one skill or strategy Taylor could use to help
overcome this challenge.
2) Consider Kim’s response to Taylor. Discuss what this could indicate about the
organisational culture of the neurosurgical ward, and how this organisational
culture could impact patient care.
3) Describe two leadership skills Taylor could use to help resolve the conflict with
Ali.
4) Analyse whether Taylor needs to complete an incident report, considering
potential and actual patient harm as well as broader implications for the nursing
team.
Literature and references
In this assessment use at least 5 references from relevant, high-quality and
contemporary journal articles (<5 years) to support your discussion. You may also use
seminal scholarly literature, textbooks and credible websites where relevant. When
sourcing information, consider the 5 elements of a quality reference: currency,
authority, relevance, objectivity, and coverage. Grey literature sourced from the
internet must be from reputable websites such as from government, university, or peak
national bodies: for example, the Australian College of Nursing. Avoid using blogs,
even when hosted by universities and other reputable organisations, as these are not
credible sources.
Requirements
1. Use a conventional and legible size 12 font, such as Arial, Calibri, Times New
Roman or similar, with 2.0 line spacing and 2.54cm page margins (standard
pre-set margin in Microsoft Word).
2. Include a title page with your name, student number, unit code and name,
names of unit coordinators, due date, date submitted, and word count of each
question.
3. Include page numbers on each page in a footer.
4. You may write in the second-person perspective.
5. Use formal academic language.
6. Do not use dot points or bullet points.
7. Use Australian spelling and language conventions (e.g. organisation).
8. Use the seventh edition American Psychological Association (APA) referencing
style. The CQUniversity Academic Learning Centre has an online APA
Referencing Style Guide.
9. An introduction, conclusion, and table of contents are not required.
10.The word count is considered for each individual response. The word count
excludes the assessment questions and reference list but includes in-text
references and direct quotations.
Resources
1. You can use unit provided materials and other credible sources (e.g. journal
articles, books) to reference your argument. The quality and credibility of your
sources are important. Please do not reference your lecture notes or the unit
PowerPoints.
2. We recommend that you access your discipline-specific library guide: the
Nursing and Midwifery Guide
3. For information on academic communication, please go to the Academic
Learning Centre Moodle site. The Academic Communication section has many
helpful resources, including information for students with English as a second
language.
4. Submit a draft before the due date to review your Turnitin Similarity Score
before making a final submission. Instructions are available here.
Submission
Submit your assessment via the unit Moodle site in Microsoft Word format only.
Marking Criteria
Refer to the marking rubric for more detail on how marks will be assigned.