NURS 3007 Contemporary Issues in Child and Adolescent Health

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 401196

Coordinator Peter Lewis Opens in new window

Description This unit begins with a brief examination of socio-cultural theories of childhood and adolescence as a background for the critical analysis of current debates about the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Case studies will be used to explore contestable topics in child and youth health from an interdisciplinary perspective. The unit will address issues of child protection and parental responsibility in the mainstream community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and refugee health care settings. Knowledge gained in this unit will assist beginning practitioners in a variety of disciplines to take informed positions on topics relevant to child and adolescent health.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline Nursing

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Restrictions Successful completion of 80 credit points.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
  1. Discuss current socio-cultural meanings of childhood and adolescence.
  2. Discuss the influence of context and culture on child and adolescent health.
  3. Discuss and critically analyse why some public health initiatives are contestable.
  4. Formulate and justify a personal position on current contestable topics in child and adolescent health.
  5. Critically reflect on ethico-legal implications of public health policy as applied to children and adolescents.
  6. Critically discuss how interagency collaboration is necessary for the effective promotion of child and adolescent health.

Subject Content

Module 1 - Models of Child and Adolescent Development
1. Introduction to basic conceptualisations of childhood and adolescence
- Continuous Vs Discontinuous development
- Tabula Rasa Vs Noble Savage
- nature Vs nurture
2. Biopsychosocial Models of child and adolescent development
- physical growth
- cognitive and psychological growth
3. Models of Social and Moral Development
- Vygotskys Sociocultural theory
- Bronfenbrenners ecological systems theory
- Kohlbergs theory of moral development
4. Socio-cultural contextualisation of childhood and adolescence
- historical and evolving definitions of childhood and Adolescence
- childhood and adolescence in different socio-cultural contexts; modern Western democracy, Islamic states, majority world
- how variations shape The approach to Caring for children and adolescents
Module 2 - Public Health from the Global to the Local
5. Principles of public health policy and their application to children and adolescents
- historical development of public health
- The purpose of public health policy
- major achievements of public health
- critiques of public health
- some useful public health frameworks for thinking about child and adolescent health
Module 3 - Caring for marginalised children and adolescents
6. Social Justice
- mandatory Detention and its impact on The family unit
- Caring for The health of children and adolescents during and after their Detention
- Caring for The Australian Born offspring of Adult detainees
7. Equity of Ac"ess
- child and adolescent health in rural and Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
- child and adolescent health in Urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
- intervention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and its impact on child and adolescent health
8. Intra session Break
9. Protecting Children and Adolescents in Institutional Care
- The Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual Abuse
Module 4 - Balancing public good with personal choice
10. What to do with those who disagree with the "experts"
- The qualified success of population

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Item Length Percent Threshold Individual/Group Task
Asynchronous discussion board participation 1 post of 100 – 300 words per module throughout semester (A minimum total of 4 posts throughout semester) 15 N Individual
Critical reflection 1,500 words 50 N Individual
Abstract and online presentation 300 words and 10 minutes 35 N Individual

Teaching Periods

Structures that include subject