Human Anatomy and Physiology (NURS90153)

Intended learning outcomes

At the completion of this subject, the student should be able to: 

• Describe normal human anatomy and physiological function;
• Discuss how changes at cellular level affect the function of tissues, organs and body systems and precipitate physiological responses to maintain homeostasis;
• Identify the key structural and functional changes to major body systems at different stages of the human lifespan, including key issues surrounding health of vulnerable populations such as paediatric, Indigenous peoples and mental health consumers;
• Discuss the role of the inflammatory process in maintenance of body homeostasis during tissue injury, infection and infectious disease;
• Discuss the relationship between infection, altered immunity and disease;
• Apply core physiological concepts to understand nursing assessment data and development of care plans;
• Convey complex information on clinical anatomy, physiology, microbiology, immunology and pharmacology in culturally appropriate manner;
• Interpret physiological data in the context of normal physiology to identify implications for monitoring health status and link that to evidence-based nursing interventions;
• Utilise electronic databases to identify evidence-based information to support linking of core pathophysiological processes with nursing assessment and care planning.

Generic skills

• capacity for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation
• critical thinking and analytical skills in individual and team settings
• capacity to rethink own ideas and an openness to new ideas
• development of digital literacy skills required to communicate new knowledge