Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 400238

Coordinator Antoinette Cotton Opens in new window

Description Health and healthcare leaders often engage in the development and implementation of national policy. The success of these policies is often viewed through the health outcomes in terms of access and equity of quality care. Therefore, it is critical to understand the political and social constructions that underpin the development of health and healthcare policy. Students will explore and critically analyse issues related to the development, implementation and outcomes of health and health care policies specifically in relation to the impact on culturally diverse and disadvantaged groups in society today.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline Public Health

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject

Pre-requisite(s) Students enrolled in program 4673 Master of Mental Health Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) must have passed the following three subjects before they can enrol in this subjects - NURS 7018 Contemporary Professional Practice in Mental Health Nursing and NURS 7023 Evidence-based Nursing and NURS 7028 Leadership in Clinical Practice

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in a postgraduate program.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Critique social ideologies and theories which shape public expenditure on health  services.
2. Utilise insight to reveal the relationships between politics and power in the construction of health policies.
3. Critically examine the power and influence of interest groups associated with health policy formulation.
4. Critique the impact of the significant historical, structural, and environmental factors which affect health - policies’ development and translation.
5. Evaluate ethical and legal considerations involved in enacting health policies.
6. Critically appraise the impact of health  policies on culturally diverse and disadvantaged populations.
   

Subject Content

Module 1: Introduction to the Foundations of Health Policy
- What is Policy
- The Policy Cycle
- Social Theory and Social Policy
- Ethics and distributive justice in health resourcing
- Legislation
- The New Public Health

Module 2: Policy Analysis in the Context of Social Complexity
- Definitions of Power and policy development
- Approaches to policy analysis
- Critique of macro and micro health policies
- Methods of analysis and evaluation

Module 3: The global economy and the future of health care
- Ageing
- Obesity and wellbeing
- End-of-life and living at home
- Technology
- Global economic variations and health care

Module 4: Politics and Public Opinion in Setting the Health Care Agenda
- Federalism and health
- Role of 'unofficial actors' in the development of policy
- Quality and Safety in health care (adverse events, crisis management