HLTENN035 - Practise Nursing Within the Australian Health Care System

 Assessment Criteria:

To achieve a satisfactory result, your assessor will be looking for your ability to demonstrate the following key skills/tasks/knowledge as outlined in the marking criteria for this assessment task

1. Give three (3) examples of how a nurse can contribute to the emotional and social well-being of their clients.

• Provide Emotional Support: Motivate clients to talk about anything they feel without forming any judgments.
• Encourage Social Connections: Refer clients to services that are available in senior centres, youth groups, or volunteer organizations (Lawrence et al., 2015).
• Promote Dignity and Respect: Caring and being careful with cultural issues help your clients feel more appreciated and less isolated.

1. Give one (1) example of how nurses can be involved in the prevention of disease in communities. (primary care)

Nurses may organize or join workshops meant for people in the community to help them stop smoking, improve their diets, or increase their physical activity (Macartney et al.,2020). These programs inform people, prepare them with the right knowledge, and help them decide on changes that slash the risk of chronic diseases (AIHW, 2023).

• Give one (1) example of how nurses working in a tertiary care setting can assist a patient in managing their health condition.

In the hospital’s cardiology department, a nurse could provide information about what to do after a patient has had heart surgery (Hossain et al., 2020). This involves educating patients on using their drugs properly, adapting their diets, detecting possible complications, and arranging future care to help them not be readmitted to the hospital and aid their recovery.

4 In the table below, identify two (2) Australian agencies and discuss how they facilitate positive health outcomes.

1. Identify three (3) common features of complementary and alternative health care in Australia.

• Holistic Approach: This system values treating a person’s mind, body, and spirit, as opposed to only attending to symptoms (Haigh et al., 2015).

• Patient-Centred Care: Underlines creating plans that are personal decisions for individual patients.

• Natural and Traditional Therapies: Basically, there are herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, and meditation practices that patients may integrate into their mainstream medical plan (Bensoussan & Myers, 2020).

 

Identify four non-traditional health approaches appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• Bush Medicine – Aboriginal people use indigenous plants and methods that have been passed on for many generations.

• Family Community Elders – Going to the Elders in the community for advice and support on health issues.

• Yarning Circles – Places where people can tell stories safely and support each other through community interaction.

 

Explain how the Australian Health Care system developed.

• Colonial Beginnings: Military healthcare providers and charitable services were the main way people received early health care.

• Public Hospitals: In the 1800s, cities built state-run hospitals to address the demand of larger populations.

• Medicare Introduction (1984): A plan where universal health care is made available free or reduced cost to everyone in Australia.

• Private Health Insurance Expansion: More demand for electric vehicles due to the rebates offered by the government.

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS): Gives people a chance to get vital medications at an affordable rate.

• Medicare Locals: The BGC program was put in place to optimize primary healthcare locally (with PHNs now taking over).

• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS): The program began in 2013 to offer aid to individuals with disabilities.

• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services: Established to give proper healthcare to people of different cultures.

• Digital Health Initiatives: These new ways of connecting have increased both access and the sharing of health-related information (Haigh et al., 2015).

• Ongoing Reforms: Improvements in aged care and mental health are focused on filling service gaps and looking after the health of the population.

1. Explain the difference between public and private health care (point form acceptable) .

Public Health Care

1. Funded by the government through Medicare

2. Free or low-cost services include GP visits, public hospital treatment, and emergency care.

3. Longer waiting times for elective surgeries.

Private Health Care

1. Funded through private insurance or out-of-pocket payments.

2. Shorter waiting times and more personalised service.

3. Greater choice of specialists and hospitals.

4. Covers services not always included in Medicare (e.g., dental, optical).

5. Match the eight (8) National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards for the Australian Government, states, and territories with their description.

6. Identify a political or economic mental health policy (plan) in Australia and discuss the impact the plan may have on the delivery of mental health care in Australia. 

Changes in the Way Mental Health Care is Delivered

It was put in place to unite mental health, suicide prevention, and primary care services in Australia (McCartney et al., 2019).

• It allowed for more accurate data, improved planning of services, and made those delivering mental health care responsible (Department of Health and Aged Care, 2022).

• The plan also took care of regional inequality and put efforts into improving services for people in rural and remote areas.

• Funding was provided to help people receive mental health care in their community rather than rely on staying in the hospital.

• It puts more value on working as a team and offering services that meet people’s needs.

• Identify a political or economic aged care policy (plan) in Australia and discuss the impact the plan may have on the delivery of aged care services in Australia. 

• Policy: Aged Care Reform Plan by the Australian Government (2021–2025)

Impact: The reform was created due to the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

• The goal of the plan is to raise the standard, safety, and ease of access for older Australians in need of aged care.

• It deals with modifying the way health insurance is funded, putting in place minimum standards for care, and increasing the level of training for workers.

• By doing this, more options are made available to customers and the standards of service become clearer and fair (McCartney et al., 2019).

• Identify how much money was spent on aged care services and aged residential services in the past financial year by the Australian Federal government.

• In the 2023–2024 financial year, the Australian Federal Government budgeted about $29.9 billion for aged care.

• There were total expenses of $15.2 billion in residential aged care.

• More funds were directed at home care packages, training for staff, meals, transport, and helping people at home (McCartney et al., 2019).

• Identify and discuss at least two (2) strengths and two (2) weaknesses relating to the overall structure of the current Australian Healthcare system.

Strengths

Medicare for all Australians – This gives every individual access to both public hospitals and government health subsidies (Haigh et al., 2015).

There is a highly trained and carefully regulated group of nurses and doctors in Australia.

Weaknesses

• Location-Based Inequality – Those living in distant and rural places may struggle to find timely and high-quality healthcare services.

• Division of Authority – When one level of government is responsible for certain tasks, it can result in difficulties in providing services and funds

• Identify and discuss two  current health issues that are impacting clinical practice and health policy development.

• Increasing need for mental health care is leading to wider access to community mental health services and training more workers in offering psychological first aid.

• Short Staffing – Due to more people in Australia becoming elderly, authorities are called to raise rates and training for aged care staff (Haigh et al., 2015).

• List ten (10) important events that have occurred in the timeline of the nursing profession. These should include both historical development and current perspectives.

In the year 1860, Florence Nightingale introduced the first official nursing course.

In 1899, the International Council of Nurses was formed.

After federation in 1901, each state started to regulate the nursing profession.

• 1923 – The Australian Trained Nurses’ Association started to maintain a national register.

• 1955 – Programs for Enrolled Nurses are introduced in Australia.

• Medicare was introduced in 1984, giving more people the opportunity to receive medical care.

• 1994 – United by the Australian Nursing Council, national competency standards for nurses were introduced.

• 2010 – The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency started national registration for nurses.

• In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization declared 2020 to be the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

• In 2021, the Aged Care sector was reformed after being it in the Royal Commission’s report (Khadka et al., 2019).

 

What are the key features of the Enrolled Nurse Standards for Practice?

• Professional Conduct: Behaves appropriately and follows the rules in each step of a patient’s treatment (Harper & Maloney, 2016).

• Person-Centred Care: Care is given in a safe and culturally appropriate way by Registered Nurses using evidence-based practice.

• Communication: Communicates in a way that is simple, polite, and based on facts with both clients and team members.

• Collaboration: Operates well as part of various teams and helps plan and evaluate the care given to patients.

• Ongoing Development: Continuously looks for ways to become a better professional through learning and reflects on experiences gained during practice.

 

Identify how Orem’s general theory of nursing is incorporated into the nursing process for modern nursing practice. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory rests on the premise that people can look after themselves, only turning to nurses for help when they are unable to (McCartney et al., 2019).

In practice:

• Assessment: Nurses review the capability of patients to look after themselves and follow treatment plans.

• Planning: They plan out treatments and information that will help the patient gain more independence.

• Implementation: Nurses generally provide care or assist patients in accomplishing their tasks.

• Evaluation: The patient is assessed to determine if they are able to take care of themselves again.

With this model, patients are able to become more self-sufficient, which supports the main aims of today’s nursing.

Identify two (2) roles of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM).

• Cultural Safety Advocacy: Acts in a way that is safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by valuing and respecting who they are.
• Support and Development: Volunteers, educators, and peers give Indigenous nurses and midwives mentoring and assist them in their careers (Biles et al., 2023).

 

What are the five main areas of the Australian Government's aged care reform?

• A New Aged Care Act: Modernising aged care legislation to make sure their dignity, choice, and independence are protected first.

• Support at Home Program: Making it easier for people to receive more personalised and flexible home support, rather than restricting them to current programs (Arpey et al., 2017).

• Aged Care Workforce Improvements: Training aged care staff, covering salaries, and investing in workplace conditions help guarantee that staff can give effective and trusted care.

• Residential Aged Care Reforms: Enacting tougher regulations, better health care, and raising the number of workers in residential care facilities.

• Improved Governance and Regulation: Reaching out to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to assess safety and ensure more reporting of information and accountability.

1. Identify two (2) community health promotional strategies and discuss how each one has been effective.

Slip! Slop! Slap! Campaign (SunSmart Australia)

Effectiveness: The campaign aimed at Australians to avoid getting skin cancer by covering up with a shirt, applying sunscreen, and wearing a hat, all of which are known as the Slip, Slop, Slap method. Because of it, more Australians became aware of the danger of UV rays, which drove down the number of skin cancer diagnoses in the younger population (Haigh et al., 2015).

NSW Health provides the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service.

Effectiveness: You can get free help and advice from this service if you need to improve your activity level, change your eating, or drink less alcohol. As a result of the program, participants have reduced their weight, waistline, and improved their lifestyle choices.

Update and document your learning and progress regularly.

Make sure to keep a record of all CPD activities, such as dates, your thoughts, and what you learned each year (Arpey et al., 2017).

Ensure Accurate Documentation and Self-Assessment

Complete and hand in all necessary files, particularly details of your practice hours, professional indemnity plan, and obedience to the practice standards set by AHPRA and NMBA.