Course for Registered Nurses

Graduate Diploma of Clinical Practice (Child and Family: Karitane) information

The focus for practitioners in the course is to provide family centred care and guidance to those mothers/carers who are experiencing parenting difficulties irrespective of cultural or socioeconomic status or geographical location.

The course is offered as a full or part time program via distance education.

The first semester or year consists of subjects targeting the needs of the Child & Family Health Nurse.

Social Aspects of Child and Family Health Nursing-this unit gives an overview of family functioning and explores their diversity and complexity by examining different cultural and social values, beliefs and practices. It discusses effective family assessment strategies, introduces the concepts inherent in the NSW Government’s Families First Initiative and addresses the role of the child and family health nurse in health promotion

Evidence Based Nursing – this unit is designed to develop students knowledge of the principles and processes necessary for evidence based clinical practice

Childhood – this unit assists the child and family health nurse to understand the growth and development of children from birth of five years of age including growth and development milestones, nutrition and play

Parental Issues – this unit examines client centred counselling, recognition and management of postnatal depression and sexual health issues

The second semester or year again consists of four subjects :

Introduction to Infant Mental Health – this unit examines issues in infant mental health such as constitutional factors, effects of physical disease or injury, temperamental and environmental factors. It examines theoretical perspectives of attachment, maternal psychopathology and clinical presentations. Nursing management strategies related to separation anxiety, developmental disorders and reactive attachment disorder are focal points.

Applied Nursing Research – this unit aims to broaden and deepen student’s understanding of research methods and to extend their ability to discuss and appraise the work of others and participate in their own research.

Health Promotion and the Nurse – this unit uses a social health perspective to examine evidence based health promotion strategies that can be implemented in the context of nursing practice

An Elective – to be discussed with the course co-ordinator at the university

For further information regarding the course please contact the University of Western Sydney (Campbelltown Campus) Course Code 4530 or the Nurse Educator at Karitane on (02) 9794 1844.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 17 June 2003