University Nursing Assignment: Australian Healthcare System and Models

This nursing assignment explores the Australian healthcare system, encompassing various models of health, including the social and biomedical models, and the application of National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. It delves into the structure of the healthcare system in Queensland, the evolution of nursing in Australia, and the scope of nursing practice. The assignment also examines the roles of key organizations like the Minister for Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Furthermore, it addresses healthcare difficulties faced by immigrants, the roles of private healthcare providers and government support services, and the impact of environmental factors on the wellbeing of the Australian population. The assignment also covers specific health issues like cardiac health and diabetes within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the roles of various healthcare professionals, and the effects of political and environmental factors on healthcare. Finally, it explores the application of Betty Neuman's System model in nursing care and provides insights into specific healthcare services and resources.

Running head:NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Answer 1.
Social Model of Health- A conceptual structure that improves health condition and is
concerned about wellbeing by directing effort towards addressing the economic, social as
well as environmental determinants. This is a community approach and addresses the broader
influences of health (Leung, Pachana & McLaughlin, 2014).
Biomedical Model of Health- It focuses on biological factors instead of social, psychological
and environmental factors and emphasize on diagnosis and treatment of any medical
condition by health professionals. The biomedical model improves the quality of life, extends
the life expectancy (Deacon & McKay, 2015)
Answer 2.
Clinical Governance is applied to maintain the quality, safety and reliability of the
healthcare thus improving the health outcomes of the patients (Fardazar et al., 2015).
Partnering with Consumers is concerned in providing patient-centred health system by
including the patients in decision- making, designing and developing the quality healthcare.
Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-associated Infection is involved in preventing
infection and managing it effectively.
Medication safety uses strategies that ensure that health professionals prescribe appropriate
and safe medicines.
Comprehensive care is concerned with preventing and as well as minimising the risk. This
standard describes integrated screening, assessment and risk identification.
Communication for safety standard deals with effective communication among the patients,
caregivers and families.
Blood management is the system that is involved in appropriate, safe, efficient care of
patient’s blood and other supplies of blood.

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Recognising and responding to acute deterioration concerns about the patient when the
mental, physical and cognitive condition deteriorates.
Answer 3.
The Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services of Queensland is in
charge of the health system via the Department of Health and Queens land’s 16 Hospital and
Health Records. Director-general manages the activities of Department of Health services.
The Director-General takes charge of internal audit office, office of the Director-general,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Division, Corporate Service Division, Clinical
Excellence Queensland, Prevention department, Healthcare Purchasing and System
Performance Division, Queensland Ambulance Service, Strategy, policy and Planning
division, Health Support Queensland and eHealth Queensland. The Hospital and Health
Boards under Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance services provide hospital and
health services to Central Queensland, Darling Downs, Central West, Gold Coast and many
more.
Answer 4
The scope of nursing practice depends on the educational framework that a nurse
undergoes. The general practice nurse does not get fame as a recognized nurse. Australia
lacks in defined career pathway for the nurses. Previously nurses were trained in practical and
theory in hospital nursing schools along with 6-week preliminary training. In the late 1970s,
nursing education is transferred to the university sector. The bachelor degrees in nursing was
incorporated excluding the diploma degree. in the current century, the Nurse Practitioners
becomes eligible only after applying to the Nursing and Midwifery Boards of Australia,
NMBA (Ingham-Broomfield, 2015). The evolution of the nursing role in Australia involves a
change in health policy, nurse education and funding models. The policymakers are trying to
build sustainable primary care service to reduce the complexity of the chronic disease.

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Change in the education system of the nurse by focusing on primary care education is
provided. Previously the scope of nurse practice was limited and now four common elements
have been identified namely clinical organisation, clinical care, practice administration and
integration of the practice with an external organisation. Change in workforce characteristics,
environment and roles have provided a good impact on the nursing profession.
Answer 5
The nursing profession provides many perks in context to the level of education. A
candidate opting for nursing profession can place herself/himself as a Licensed Practical
Nurse, Registered Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse-Midwife, Advanced Practice
Nurse, Nurse-Anesthetist and Nursing Assistant. According to the Australian Government’s
Health workforce report shortage of nurses is a chronic condition and the increment of the
workforce will commence in a short period thus opening clear opportunities for the nurses
(Crettenden et al., 2014).
Answer 6
The features of primary health care involves health promotion, control of disease,
community control over health service, affordable and acceptable technology, equity of care
and research-based methods. Education contributes an important role in the philosophical
framework of primary healthcare (Asuero etl al., 2014). Maintenance between illness,
preventive care, treatment and health promotion provides effective healthcare.
Answer 7.
The holistic health model focuses on the health condition of the whole person and his
or her interaction with his or her surrounding. It does not focus on illness and specific part of
the body (Reisner et al., 2015).

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The Health-Illness Continuum stated by Ryan and Travis described high levels of health and
illness at one end of the continuum and high level of illness and poor health at other ends of
this continuum (van Erp Taalman Kip & Hutschemaekers, 2018).
Answer 8.
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia key role is to protect the public. Along
with that its functions include registering nurse and midwifery practitioners, developing
guidelines, standards and codes for the midwifery profession and approving accreditation
standards (Scanlon et al., 2016).
Midwives run Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, nurses and assistants to advance
the political, professional and industrial interest of its members.
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency role is to set standards and policies and
thereby to protect the public by regulating registered health practitioners.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council is responsible for accrediting
education providers and is concerned about the regulation of nurses and midwives.
Answer 9.
The healthcare difficulties that the immigrants face in Australia are:
 Cultural barriers
 Communication Barrier
 Cost of health services
Obesity, coronary heart disease and disabilities like visual defects are considered as the health
issues faced by the people migrating to Australia (Mahmud, Alam & Härtel, 2014).
Answer 10.
Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) role is to provide 13 million Australians with
better quality healthcare services, to promote and foster the practice, principles, philosophy
and development of voluntary health insurance, to provide a medium through which the

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views of the members can be expressed and to work closely with the agencies and department
of the government of Australia along with encouraging the Australian public in the activities
of PHA (Fanner, 2015).
Centrelink supports individuals with payment and services for the unemployed individuals,
retirees, families carer, people with disability, parents, people with diverse background and
Indigenous Australians (Davern et al., 2017).
Answer 11.
Cardiac health issues – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are more
inclined to smoking and becomes the substantial problem among them (Brown et al., 2015).
It leads to hospitalisation and forms the prime cause of death among the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. Tobacco smoking, poor nutrition, high blood pressure and high
cholesterol are the risk factors.
Diabetes- The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people is 3 to 4 times is higher than non-Indigenous Australians. Adopting a westernized
lifestyle by the Aboriginal is the prime factor that works against them (Burrow & Ride,
2016).
Answer 12.
The enrolled nurses can play a specialist role as nurse immunisers, diabetes nurse
educators and mental health nurses (Truant & Chan, 2017). Three domains or environment
where enrolled nurse can get themselves involved are: professional and collaborative
practice, reflective and analytical practice and provision of care.
Answer 13.
Physiotherapist’s role is to help the patients to recover from an accident, injury by
organising physical exercise sessions. Specialist techniques such as ultrasound ane

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electropathy are used, and massage is provided to the patients. They are involved in
collecting statistics and writing the report (Stubbs et al., 2014).
The role of a dietician is to assess clients health needs and counsel them on nutrition issues
along with awarding them on healthy eating habits. They are responsible for developing meal
plans and evaluating the effect of a meal (Marcason, 2015).
Answer 14.
The environmental factors that affect the wellbeing of the Australian population are
water quality, sewage disposal, air quality, population distribution, climate change and
extreme weather events. Ozone formation makes the weather warmer which leads to bush
fire. Population’s exposure to air population deteriorates the heart and lung condition.
Cultural barriers caused inequitable access to healthcare, thus creating misunderstanding
between patients and caregivers. The communication gap prevents the patient from seeking
help and expressing their needs thus leads to improper medication (Giles-Corti et al., 2016).
Community acceptance- In Australia, the MHS promotes community acceptance and reduces
the stigma for the individuals who are affected by mental disorder. Low acceptance in the
professional community leads to suicide tendency among individuals with the diseased
condition (Burton, Rogers & Richert, 2017).
Answer 15.
One of the common issues were being unable to afford needed test and drugs. Another
political impact is the attitude towards government regulation. For example , an alteration in
tax policies invites strategy adjustment which is involved either in taking advantage of
increased government spending or can make allowances for reduced government subsides in
healthcare system. Another political impact like alteration in employment law may call for
employee overtime requirement which leads to adjustment of staffing and overtime needs.
Answer 16.

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The current issues that are impacting on clinical practice and health policy development are
injury prevention and control, cancer control, cardiovascular health, arthritis, diabetes
mellitus, asthma, mental health, dementia and musculoskeletal condition.
Answer 17.
Travel safe clinic provides typhoid vaccination (http://www.travelsafeclinic.co.za/,
2020). For cardiovascular health check-up, James needs to visit The Heart and Stroke
Foundation in South Africa. Both are situated in Cape Town City (Heart & Stroke
Foundation South Africa, 2020). He needs to ensure that his present prescription and over the
counter medicines are legal in the South .
To avail the service, he must carry his identity card, proof of his local language, his
blood type, proof on any chronic illness and allergies that persist in him. It will be easier for
him if he books an appointment beforehand.
Answer 18.
It will be knowledgeable to take down the details of his ayurvedic medicine and
incorporate National Residential Medication Chart, which will help to evaluate the significant
reduction in medicine administration errors.
Answer 19.
BeyondBlue has successfully continued to increase its brand recognition and is
working actively to spread awareness of depression and anxiety. Beyondblue is highly
responsive to changes in community needs and they have incorporated innovation, research
and learning. Carers and consumers are highly satisfied with their activity.
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program: A study suggests that individuals who go
through this screening process have 13% less risk of dying from bowel cancer.
Answer 20.

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The key focus of Betty Neuman's System model about nursing care is Central
core/Basic structure, Degree to reaction, entropy, Line of Resistance-LOR, Flexible LOD,
Negentropy,Normal LOD, Open system, Input-output, prevention as intervention, stability,
reconstitution, wellness, stressors, prevention.
Answer 21.
The situation that she faced is racial hatred which is against the law, and it is
commendable to make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Under the
Racial Discrimination Act, the president of the Commission will investigate the matter and
resolve it by conciliation.
Answer 22.
The commonwealth government funds for medical services and pharmaceuticals. The
average annual rate of growth in health spending was 2.7% since 1984-85 with major
expenditures in acute care hospital and medical services. Medicare benefits scheme,
pharmaceutical benefits scheme, private health spending are the services that are provided
with a greater choice of doctors and hospitals. Australis evolving health system has
incorporated demand-side controls and promoted competition. Emphasis is given on
evidence-based interventions, primary care and prevention with better system integration in
addition to government initiatives.
Answer 23.
The interdisciplinary approach consists of team members of different discipline who
work collaboratively that increases positive health outcomes. They work with a common
purpose towards the same goal thus increasing communication and effectiveness of the
healthcare. Their role is to provide effective care to the patient by engaging individuals from
a different discipline and making an effective decision on the particular medical condition.
This approach provides patient-centred care thus improving the client relationship.

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Answer 24.
Implementation of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and supporting private health
insurance are considered as the strengths of the Australian Health Care System in
Queensland.
The chronic shortage of doctors and the inefficient allocation of resources are the weaknesses
of Australian Health care system in Queensland.
Answer 25.
Universal access to care and coverage based on need (principle of primary
healthcare): the enrolled works on different sectors which cover health promotion, child and
family health nursing, illness prevention, healthy ageing, antenatal and postnatal care,
education and research, advocacy and policy development. The nurses dedicated them to
patient care as well as organiser, quality controller, educator and agent of connectivity to
maintain primary healthcare principles.
Positivity is empowerment (principle of wellness): The enrolled nurses are provided with
leadership development and is involved in decision-making. They get the power to authorise
their job and feel appreciated and share their feedback on the satisfaction of their job.
Answer 26.
Higher-income and social status: The gap between the higher income with high social
status and lower-income with low social status affects person health adversely. The person
with high income and high support from the friends and family tends to get more advanced
treatment than the others.
Low education levels: education influence job opportunities which in turn influence income
and thus making the health of a person better. Due to low education, many individuals are
unaware of certain diseases.

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Greater social support networks: It improves the individuals to cope up with the stressful
situation and promotes good mental health with the social support.
Answer 27.
The access to the public healthcare system at low cost has made the public of
Australia to avail the service of Medicare despite financial challenges. The demand for
healthcare services has limited the use of resource allocation within the healthcare sector and
individual patients.
Answer 28.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia are more likely prone to
respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, mental health problem, chronic kidney disease
and diabetes (O'Grady et al., 2018). Trachoma and rheumatic heart disease are common
among them. The Australian government has initiated several health services for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander which improves their health condition and life expectancy, thus
reducing child mortality. The National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA) designed a
framework of policy building block and national targets that work on closing the gap in
indigenous group. The health plan aligns with other government policy that supports better
health outcome of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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