Credit Points 10

Coordinator Rachel Gregory-Wilson Opens in new window

Description This subject will prepare registered nurses with the essential knowledge and skills required to perform Tuberculosis (TB) screening and vaccination. The subject is structured into 2 sections: TB screening and Vaccination and meets the Standards for the Accreditation of Immunisation Courses, Health Education Services Australia’s (HESA), 2020. Students will be introduced to nurse led approaches for population-based screening and vaccination within a public health disease framework. The governance supporting nurse initiated diagnostic tests for TB and latent TB, as well as vaccination, will be explored. Students will develop the skills (including intradermal injection) required to perform, advocate, and promote screening for TB; latent TB infection and vaccination to prevent TB, in at risk populations. This will be supported with clinical practice tasks. Case studies will provide a focus for exploring risk factors for latent TB infection and progression to TB disease and opportunities for vaccination against TB. The Australian Clinical Skills Sets and Standards of Practice for the Specialist Tuberculosis Nurse will be used as the framework for student learning and assessment.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline General Nursing

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in a postgraduate program: 4722 - Master of Nursing (Tuberculosis Management specialisation)

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this subject, students will be able to:

1. Examine the governance supporting semi-independent nursing practice within jurisdictional TB programs.
2. Critically evaluate the global prevalence of TB.
3. Assess client risk for TB, infectious and latent TB infection.
4. Appraise the global and Australian context for immunisation.
5. Apply legal and ethical principles to the practice of immunisation.
6. Analyse the relationship between the immune system, immunisation, and principles of immunisation practice.
7. Demonstrate competency related to the Standards for the Accreditation of Immunisation Courses, Health Education Services Australia’s (HESA), 2020.

Subject Content

Introduction - Nurse initiated screening and vaccination for TB 
• Public Health practice and governance to facilitate nurse initiated (semi-independent) screening and vaccination for TB.
Overview of TB 
• Epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis of TB.
• Differentiating latent TB infection (LTBQI+) from TB disease. 
• TB Prevention:
o Treatment of LTBI and TB disease.
o Role of BCG vaccination in a TB prevention and control program.
TB screening  
• Risk Assessments for:
o TB
o Infectious TB
o Latent TB
o High risk groups
• Diagnostic Tests: 
o Tuberculin Skin Test (intradermal injection)
o Interferon Gamma Release assays
o Microbiology
o Radiology
o Other 
• Results and nursing management.
• Patient education and documentation.
• Health facility onsite and offsite screening (and vaccination).

Vaccination (equivalent to shortest HESA accredited course)
• Standard 1: The Global and Australian Context for Immunisation 
• Standard 2: The Law, Ethics and Immunisation
• Standard 3: The Immune System and Immunisation
• Standard 4: Immunisation Practice
o History of BCG vaccination.
o Concepts of control, elimination and eradication of vaccine preventable diseases.
o The role of surveillance in designing and monitoring immunisation programmes. 
o The construction of the National Immunisation schedule and current published policy.
o The number, timing and spacing of doses and designing schedules for people with uncertain or incomplete vaccination status with the minimum number of visits.
o Resources available locally and nationally to consult about immunisation issues.
o Active and passive immunity, cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity, antibodies, and antigens / immune system response to a vaccine. 
o Concept of herd immunity, individual protection, and the effect of vaccination on the community. 
o Conditions that affect immunity and the immune response to vaccines. 
o Health facility onsite and offsite screening and vaccination.
o Storage and handling requirements (cold chain).
o Vaccine administration procedures for BCG (inc. management of adverse events /documentation).

Special Requirements

Essential equipment

Access to an internet enabled device is essential in order to be able to: access program materials; to participate in discussion groups; and to access additional resources provided by the lecturer during the term. See http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/services_and_facilities/uwsonline_student_support for further information.