Nursing in Australia
Contemporary Professional and Practice Insights

Graduate nurses are expected to 'hit the ground running', taking on complex care challenges in a stressful and fast-paced environment. This comprehensive yet accessible textbook provides expert guidance for students and commencing nurses on the contexts for their practice. Part 1 presents a pragmatic insight into the intersection, tensions and complexities of practice and professional issues for Australian nurses. It outlines the nature of nursing roles and professional codes of conduct, national health priority areas and legal and ethical issues including the growing use of health informatics. There is an examination of the diverse career paths available in nursing, a focus on nurses' mental health and well-being and a special examination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues. Part 2 unpacks key issues across a range of clinical contexts that will be a key resource for clinical practicums. Contexts covered include acute care, community nursing, paediatric nursing, mental health nursing and aged care. Part 3 examines the professional and practice issues of nursing in diverse, distinctive and emergent practice areas including aesthetic nursing, military nursing and international nursing with case studies and vignettes highlighting common issues and challenges. Drawing on the expertise of a wide range of Australian clinical and academic nursing professionals, this text is a key reference for all nursing undergraduates seeking to enter successfully into the profession.

Part I: Nursing in the Australian Context 1. Nursing in Australia: Nurse education, divisions and professional standards 2. Nursing and tensions within the Australian health care system 3. Nurses Delivering Care in A Digitised Environment 4. Career Pathways for Registered Nurses: An Expanding Horizon 5. Mental well-being and resilience of nurses 6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health Part II: Nursing Practice in Australia: contemporary issues Part II Section I: Nursing in acute care contexts 7. Perioperative Nursing 8. Nursing Adults in General Medical or Surgical Contexts 9. Critical Care Nursing 10. Neonatal nursing: Critically sick babies require unique nursing skills 11. Paediatric nursing in the acute care setting 12. Nursing and Acute Mental Health Settings Part II Section II: Nursing in community and home-based contexts 13. Community Nursing 14. Nursing and people with intellectual disability 15. Child and Family Health Nursing 16. The role of the Community Mental Health Nurse Part II Section III: Nursing in other and cross-clinical contexts 17. Rehabilitation nursing 18. Nursing in Aged Care Contexts 19. Remote Area Nursing 20. Sexuality and sexual health: professional issues for nurses Part III: Diverse and Distinctive Practice Areas 21. Nursing and people with cosmetic and related concerns 22. Nursing in the Australian Correctional System 23. Women’s Health Nursing 24. Nursing Men 25. Global Nursing 26. Nursing and the Military 27. General Practice Nursing 28. Occupational Health Nursing

Nathan J. Wilson is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Nathan is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families as a nurse, manager, clinical specialist, clinical educator, applied researcher and independent consultant. Nathan’s applied research is focussed on enhancing the health, wellbeing and social participation of people with intellectual and developmental disability, with an underlying emphasis on chronic illness, men’s health, masculinity, participation and social inclusion. He has published over 90 scientific papers about disability and regularly presents his findings at national and international conferences.

Peter Lewis is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Academic Workforce at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Western Sydney University. Peter has more than 20 years' experience as a registered nurse in paediatrics with a focus on chronic illness and disability. His current research interest is in the nursing care of people with intellectual disability.

Leanne Hunt is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Deputy Director, Clinical Education (Nursing), in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Western Sydney University and Registered Nurse at Liverpool Hospital Intensive Care Unit. Leanne began nursing in 1992 as an RN progressing to CNC (trauma) and NUM 1. Leanne worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in paediatric cardiothoracic intensive care for 2 years. She has 10 years of education and research experience and is the current chair of the Critical Care Research in Collaboration & Evidence Translation (CCRICET) research group. Leanne is also an affiliate member of the Centre for Applied Nursing Research (CANR), Centre for Oral Health Outcomes & Research Translation (COHORT) and the Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research. Leanne’s research interests incl