1. NURS 3043 ELA 5 Transition to Practice
Larissa Smart Lecturer of Nursing UniSA

2. What is ELA 5?
Course Aim: The aim of this course is to enable students to demonstrate the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registered nurse standards for practice for the beginning Registered Nurse in an acute care setting. ELA 5 is the final experiential learning activity course in the Bachelor of Nursing program.

3. Course Content
This content covers the national agreed skills areas for undergraduate nursing programs.
Examples of skills include: clinical interventions, clinical monitoring and management, communication and documentation, community/primary care to include health education and promotion strategies, coordinating care, cultural competence, managing challenging behaviours, nurse as teacher for self and others, evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, management and leadership, supervisory skills, conflict management resolution, legal, judicious and safe administration, storage and disposal of medicines and IV products, mental health nursing care, professional nursing behaviours, models of self care, respect for privacy and dignity of clients/patients, teamwork and interdisciplinary teams, technology and health informatics incorporating policies and standards related to patient information systems, therapeutic nursing relationships, understanding the different roles of RNs in different contexts, uses opportunities for learning.

4. How do we do this?
This course is an eight (8) week (320 hour) placement in an acute care facility that provides health care for the adult population.
Students have previously undertaken a four (4) week (160 hour) placement in an aged care setting, a four (4) week (160 hour) placement in an acute care setting and a eight (8) week (320 hour) placement in a specialty area. Students have also had the opportunity to practice skills in an on-campus simulated clinical environment leading up to this placement and been assessed in managing a care of patients and medication administration.
Students may be rostered over 24 hours and 7 days a week at venue discretion. Students are reminded to consider their safety when traveling to and from the workplace and to ensure they take reasonable care.
Students are supernumerary and must be provided with time to meet with the Clinical Facilitator, as well as time to orientate to the clinical setting and patient/client population.
Students are expected to be able to meet the health care needs (including understanding and answering questions about diagnosis, medication needs, timely planning and implementation of care, providing accurate clinical handover) of 4 patients by the end of this placement.

5. NCAS Tool
ELA 5 NCAS Tool
Students are assessed against the NMBA (2016) Standards of Practice for the Registered Nurse.

7. Nursing Competency Assessment Schedule
Pages of ELA5 NCAS

8. What do these standards look like in practice?
Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice.
Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships.
Maintains the capacity for practice.
Comprehensively conducts assessments
Develops a plan for nursing practice
Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice.
Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice.

9. Standard 1 Follows Policies and procedures of the facility
Maintains patient/client confidentiality and professional boundaries
Arrives punctually to the workplace in the correct uniform with an identification badge and leaves at the agreed time
Calls appropriate person to report absence from workplace
Understands patient/client rights
Refers to senior staff to resolve situations involving moral/ethical considerations.
Practices sensitively in a cultural context
Understands and respects cultural diversity
Can locate and apply relevant evidence appropriately
Clarifies understanding of evidence with appropriate staff
Uses suitable language with staff and patients – avoids jargon
Documents accurately – correct spelling, abbreviations
Documents according to facility guidelines and policy

10. Standard 2
Greets others and introduces self to patients and staff appropriately
Listens and responds sensitively to patient/ family/ carer concerns
Provides clear instructions in all activities
Communication with patients is conducted with consideration of the patients confidentiality, privacy and sensitivities while using a range of communication strategies to enhance understanding e.g. hearing impaired
Demonstrates positive and collaborative working relationship with colleagues
Identifies appropriate educational resources including knowledge of other health care roles
Contributes appropriately in team meetings
Advocates for patients in the appropriate healthcare setting
Ensures privacy and confidentiality in the provision of care

11. Standard 3

12. Standard 4

13. Standard 5

14. Standard 6

15. Standard 7

16. Questions?
Thank you!

17. Resources
Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016, Behavioural Cues, ANSAT, viewed 6 July 2017, <
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2016, Registered nurse standards for practice, NMBA, Melbourne.
School of Nursing and Midwifery 2017, Clinical Assessment Tool, University of South Australia, Adelaide.
School of Nursing and Midwifery 2017, Experiential Learning Activity: Transition to Practice Practicum 5 (NURS 3043), University of South Australia, viewed 6 July 2017, <