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  3. Child and Family Health

Child and Family Health (NURS90025)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2026

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Overview

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The focus of this subject is to utilise an ecological approach to understand the importance of family relationships when assessing, planning, and implementing the health care needs of children. The effects of social disadvantage on the child and family will be explored with special emphasis on families of children with special needs.

Intended learning outcomes

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



  • understand the diversity of families and the impact of cultural, economic, gender and social, political influences on child-rearing practices;
  • understand aspects of cultural safety with specific reference to issues of concern within Australian communities;
  • utilise capacities for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation to identify hospital and community supports and programs for families;
  • utilise capacities for information seeking, retrieval and evaluation to identify the needs of families who require support and assistance;
  • demonstrate capacities in critical thinking, problem-solving and analysis required to implement and evaluate care that addresses health care needs of children;
  • demonstrate communication skills (oral and written) by providing anticipatory guidance to parents/caregivers of children at different stages of development.

Generic skills

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following generic skills of the Melbourne graduate and postgraduate coursework student:

  • a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in oral and written modes of communication;
  • a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work.

Last updated: 19 November 2025