ASSESSMENT TASK 3: DESCRIPTION
Specialty nursing is a broad, diverse and complex area. Adaptation, integration and change constantly underpin practice in any discipline where research is continually undertaken, to ensure contemporary best practice. The context, clinical practice, research and governing structures that frame the profession can impact on the delivery, content and outcomes in specialty areas of nursing.
On the following page you will find a list of the 18 specialty areas of nursing and midwifery that have currently been identified in Australia. This has been taken from your first reading for this subject A National Specialisation Framework for Nursing and Midwifery (National Nursing & Nursing Education Taskforce [N3ET], 2006, p. 14). This is an important document for you to read. The framework outlines how the specialty areas were determined, and list not only the specialty areas in Australia, but also the evolving specialty areas (practice strands) of which 50 have been identified.
From this list of specialty areas and practice strands, consider a specialty or evolving specialty that you are interested in investigating and/or pursuing in your nursing career. This may be a specialty where you have enjoyed working in; one you have read extensively about; or an area to which you seem to have a natural affinity. It may be that you have had conversations with someone who works in the specialty and you would like to know more about it. Whatever your choice, decide on a specialty area that interests you, as this helps maintain your motivation and deepens your learning.
Once you have made your choice, examine the specialty in preparation to discuss and share your findings. This means you need to seek evidenced based literature and research relating to the area, to increase your understanding and knowledge of the specialty.
PART A: In your essay, you are required to:
• State and define/provide an overview of the specialty area;
• Discuss the theories/models of care (MOC) that underpin the nursing practice in the specialty area;
• Describe the role of the registered nurse (RN) in the planning and management of care and the multidisciplinary
team in this specialty;
• Outline the specific knowledge and clinical skills that are required for RNs working in this specialty area (those
that are above your fundamental NMBA competency standards);
• Provide a clinical example of how these skills could be demonstrated in the nursing care.
In your discussion, use relevant literature to analyse and discuss the specialty. Where applicable use clinical examples to demonstrate what you have learnt about the specialty in practice and to validate your discussion.
PART B: Reflection and response
• How will your current clinical knowledge and skills be beneficial to your nursing practice in the specialty you discussed in Part A?
• Examples of how you might apply what you have learnt in your clinical subjects, Clinical Nursing 1-4, within the specialty can be used to help support your ideas.
