NRSG265 Principles of Nursing: Medical, Assessment Task 1 Project: Mr Vinh Nguyen Type 2 Diabetes Multi-Modal Resource

Context

Australian Catholic University delivers NRSG265 as a second-year nursing unit. Assessment Task 1: Project carries a 50% weighting and requires a multi-modal educational resource equivalent to 2000 words. The task uses the Clinical Reasoning Cycle to analyse a patient with Type 2 diabetes and requires students to produce a narrated PowerPoint and an accompanying poster for a graduate nurse audience. The 2026 iteration keeps the Mr Vinh Nguyen case that has anchored this assessment since at least 2021 while refining the digital health literacy requirements and the rubric language around prioritisation and justification. The due date is Wednesday of Week 8 at 2pm AEST. Submission is through Canvas as a single PDF containing poster images and a link to the narrated PowerPoint.

Summary

• Title: Assessment Task 1: Project (Multi-Modal Educational Resource)
• Due Date: Wednesday, Week 8, 2pm AEST
• Length: 2000 words equivalent (8 to 10 minute narration plus poster content)
• Weighting: 50%
• Submission: PDF to Canvas with embedded poster and working narration link

Unit Learning Outcomes Assessed

LO1: Apply the Clinical Reasoning Cycle to the care of a patient with an acute or chronic medical condition. LO2: Analyse pathophysiological processes and their clinical manifestations. LO3: Prioritise nursing issues and justify interventions with evidence. LO4: Communicate specialised nursing knowledge through digital health resources.

Task Description

Create a multi-modal educational resource for graduate registered nurses who are caring for Mr Vinh Nguyen. The resource has two components: a narrated PowerPoint (8 to 10 minutes) and a poster (A3 equivalent). Both components must address the Clinical Reasoning Cycle steps and must be grounded in current Australian guidelines, peer-reviewed literature, and the Roper-Logan-Tierney Activities of Living model. The resource is not a patient education leaflet. It is a professional development tool for nurses.

Case Study: Mr Vinh Nguyen

Mr Vinh Nguyen is a 48-year-old man who emigrated from Vietnam over 30 years ago. He lives with his mother-in-law and his 21-year-old son in Sydney’s Inner West. He presented to his GP after a fall in his kitchen. He reported feeling lightheaded and dizzy while making breakfast. Laboratory tests and assessment confirmed Type 2 diabetes mellitus. His GP has referred him to you, the practice nurse, for a care plan. Presenting observations include blood pressure 106/65, heart rate 106, blood glucose 9.6 mmol/L, and a waist circumference of 105 cm. He smokes three packs of cigarettes per week and eats takeaway food six days per week. He drinks more than two beers every evening.

Task Instructions

Address the following five sections in both the poster and the narrated PowerPoint. The poster should carry the key visual and tabular content. The narration should explain, justify, and critique.

Section 1: Epidemiology and Australian Context

Present current epidemiological data on Type 2 diabetes in Australia. Include prevalence, incidence, hospitalisation rates, and priority populations. Explain why Mr Nguyen’s demographic profile places him at elevated risk. Use at least one national data source and one peer-reviewed source.

Section 2: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations

Explain the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes. Link each of Mr Nguyen’s presenting signs and symptoms to the underlying disease process. Do not list symptoms without explaining the mechanism.

Section 3: Identification and Prioritisation of Three Nursing Issues

Identify three nursing issues for Mr Nguyen. Justify the priority order. Explain why the first issue demands immediate attention and why the second and third follow in sequence. Support each justification with evidence and with reference to at least one Activities of Living.

Section 4: Care Plan and Interventions

Develop a care plan for the three nursing issues. For each issue, state the goal, the interventions, the rationale, and the evaluation criteria. Interventions must be specific to Mr Nguyen’s circumstances, including his cultural background, living arrangements, and health literacy.

Section 5: Digital Health Literacy and Resource Design

Explain the design choices made in the poster and narration. Justify how the resource meets the learning needs of graduate nurses. Address accessibility, visual hierarchy, and evidence traceability.

Marking Rubric

Sample Response: Prioritising Nursing Issues for Mr Nguyen

The first priority is unstable blood glucose, not the fall. A blood glucose reading of 9.6 mmol/L six hours after the last meal sits above the recommended range for a non-fasting measurement, and the combination of polyuria, polydipsia, and fatigue reported in the case points to uncontrolled hyperglycaemia rather than a isolated event. The clinical reasoning cycle demands that cues are clustered before action is taken, and the cluster here is metabolic. The second priority is cardiovascular risk, evidenced by a heart rate of 106, a blood pressure of 106/65, and a smoking history of three packs per week. The third priority is injury risk and functional decline, linked to the fall and the elevated body mass index implied by the 105 cm waist circumference. Prioritising the fall first would address the presenting complaint while missing the underlying metabolic decompensation that likely caused the dizziness. Research on clinical reasoning in nursing shows that novice nurses tend to prioritise the most visible problem rather than the most physiologically urgent one (Levett-Jones et al., 2023). Mr Nguyen’s case is designed to test that distinction.

Why Epidemiology Matters More Than Students Think

Students often treat the epidemiology section as a box to tick with a prevalence statistic. The rubric asks for application, not recitation. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data show that diabetes contributed to around 20,800 deaths in 2024, representing 11% of all deaths, and that there were over 1.3 million hospitalisations associated with diabetes in 2023–24 (AIHW, 2026). Those figures matter for Mr Nguyen because they establish the scale of the problem he embodies. They also matter for the graduate nurse audience the resource targets. A graduate nurse who understands that diabetes is among the ten leading causes of death in Australia is more likely to treat a blood glucose reading of 9.6 as a signal rather than a minor deviation. The epidemiological section should therefore do two things: report the data accurately and explain what the data demand of the nurse at the bedside.

Common Misconception About the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model

Many students name the Activities of Living without actually using them to structure the analysis. Naming “maintaining a safe environment” and then writing about falls risk in general terms is not application. Application means showing how Mr Nguyen’s specific circumstances affect his ability to maintain a safe environment: his kitchen fall, his living arrangements with an elderly mother-in-law and an adult son, his cultural background and its relationship to food and health-seeking behaviour. The model is a scaffold for individualised assessment, not a checklist of labels. The same logic applies to the care plan. An intervention that could apply to any patient with Type 2 diabetes is not tailored to Mr Nguyen. An intervention that addresses his takeaway food pattern, his smoking, and his alcohol intake within the context of his family and community is.

Conclusion

This project rewards students who treat the case as a clinical reasoning exercise rather than a disease information sheet. The five sections build on each other: epidemiology establishes the stakes, pathophysiology explains the mechanisms, prioritisation forces a judgment about urgency, the care plan translates judgment into action, and the digital design section asks students to justify their communication choices. Students who write generic content about Type 2 diabetes will meet the lower rubric bands. Students who anchor every section in Mr Nguyen’s specific cues, and who explain why their chosen priority order is defensible, will meet the higher bands. The multi-modal format adds a practical constraint: the poster must carry the visual and tabular load so the narration can do the analytical work.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026). Diabetes: Australian facts. AIHW. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-australian-facts

Levett-Jones, T., Hoffman, K., Dempsey, J., Jeong, S. Y.-S., Noble, D., Norton, C. A., Roche, J., & Hickey, N. (2023). The five rights of clinical reasoning: An updated framework for nurse educators. Nurse Education Today, 121, 105678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105678

Proceso de cuidado enfermero aplicado en un paciente con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. (2023). Investigación e Innovación: Revista Científica de Enfermería, 3(1), 226–240. https://doi.org/10.33326/27905543.2023.1.1836

Roper, N., Logan, W. W., & Tierney, A. J. (2000). The Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing: Based on activities of living. Churchill Livingstone.

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Assessment Task 1: Project

Mr Vinh Nguyen: Type 2 Diabetes Multi-Modal Resource

Working title: Clinical Reasoning and Nursing Care for Mr Vinh Nguyen: A Type 2 Diabetes Educational Resource for Graduate Nurses

Mr Vinh Nguyen’s presentation requires nursing care that looks beyond a single abnormal observation. His dizziness, tachycardia, low blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, central adiposity, smoking, frequent takeaway meals, and nightly alcohol use form a pattern of metabolic and cardiovascular risk. The central argument is that effective nursing care for Mr Nguyen depends on recognising hyperglycaemia as the immediate clinical priority, then addressing modifiable cardiovascular risk and fall-related functional vulnerability through a culturally responsive, evidence-based plan.

The Clinical Reasoning Cycle provides the structure for this judgement. It directs the nurse to collect cues, process information, identify problems, establish goals, act, evaluate outcomes, and reflect on practice (Levett-Jones et al., 2023). The Roper-Logan-Tierney Activities of Living model adds a person-centred lens by examining how diabetes affects Mr Nguyen’s eating and drinking, mobility, maintaining a safe environment, work and play, and controlling environmental hazards. Together, these frameworks prevent a generic diabetes response and support care that responds to his circumstances.

Epidemiology and Australian Context

Type 2 diabetes is a substantial and growing burden in Australia. Almost 1.2 million Australians, or 4.6 per cent of the population, were living with type 2 diabetes in 2021, while more than 1.3 million people were newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2021 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2024). In 2021, 45,700 people received a new type 2 diabetes diagnosis, equivalent to 178 new cases per 100,000 population (AIHW, 2024). These figures show that Mr Nguyen’s diagnosis is not an isolated event; it reflects a condition that affects a large proportion of the adult population.

Hospitalisation data demonstrate why early community-based management matters. In 2021–22, diabetes was associated with just over 1.2 million hospitalisations, representing 10 per cent of all hospital admissions in Australia (AIHW, 2024). Approximately 1.1 million of these admissions involved type 2 diabetes, although diabetes was recorded as the principal diagnosis in only a small proportion of cases (AIHW, 2024). The high number of admissions where diabetes appears as an additional diagnosis indicates that hyperglycaemia often complicates other acute illnesses, injuries, and chronic conditions rather than presenting alone.

The mortality and disease-burden figures reinforce the seriousness of delayed intervention. Diabetes contributed to around 21,900 deaths in 2022, or 11 per cent of all Australian deaths, and type 2 diabetes accounted for 128,000 years of healthy life lost in 2024 (AIHW, 2024). Type 2 diabetes therefore contributed 2.2 per cent of Australia’s total disease burden and ranked as the twelfth leading specific cause of disease burden (AIHW, 2024). For Mr Nguyen, these population-level figures translate into a clinical responsibility: early glucose control, risk-factor modification, and complication screening may reduce avoidable deterioration.

Mr Nguyen’s profile places him at elevated risk in several ways. At 48 years, he is entering an age group where type 2 diabetes prevalence rises substantially; AIHW (2024) reports that diabetes prevalence increases sharply with age. His waist circumference of 105 cm indicates central adiposity, a major contributor to insulin resistance. Frequent takeaway food, regular alcohol intake, and smoking compound this risk by promoting energy excess, dyslipidaemia, inflammation, and vascular injury. His Vietnamese background also warrants culturally safe assessment, because Australian evidence shows that diabetes prevalence, hospitalisation, and mortality differ across culturally and linguistically diverse communities (AIHW, 2023). The nurse should therefore avoid assumptions based on ethnicity and instead assess Mr Nguyen’s own food practices, language needs, family roles, beliefs about illness, and access to culturally appropriate support.

Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations

Type 2 diabetes develops through a progressive combination of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. In insulin-resistant tissues, particularly skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, cells respond less effectively to insulin. The liver consequently continues releasing glucose, muscle uptake of glucose declines, and pancreatic beta cells initially increase insulin secretion to compensate (RACGP, 2024). Over time, beta-cell function declines, insulin secretion becomes insufficient, and persistent hyperglycaemia develops.

Mr Nguyen’s blood glucose of 9.6 mmol/L reflects this failure of glucose regulation. If the reading occurred after a meal, it exceeds the RACGP (2024) postprandial target of 5.0 to 10.0 mmol/L only if it was measured more than two hours after eating; nevertheless, the value requires clinical interpretation alongside symptoms, timing, HbA1c, and repeat monitoring. Persistent hyperglycaemia causes osmotic diuresis because glucose exceeds the renal threshold and draws water into the urine. The resulting polyuria promotes fluid loss, which stimulates thirst and may produce polydipsia.

His dizziness and fall are clinically significant because they may arise from more than one mechanism. Hyperglycaemia can cause fatigue, blurred vision, and impaired concentration, all of which may contribute to unsteadiness. His blood pressure of 106/65 mmHg may also reduce cerebral perfusion, particularly if he became lightheaded on standing. The elevated heart rate of 106 beats per minute may represent a compensatory response to relative hypovolaemia, pain, anxiety, nicotine, alcohol withdrawal, or another unrecognised acute problem. The nurse should therefore assess orthostatic blood pressure, hydration status, neurological function, injury from the fall, and symptoms of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia rather than assuming a single cause.

His central adiposity is linked to the underlying disease process. Visceral adipose tissue releases free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines that interfere with insulin signalling, worsening insulin resistance (RACGP, 2024). Smoking and alcohol use add further metabolic and cardiovascular harm. Smoking promotes endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, whereas excess alcohol can contribute to hypertension, dyslipidaemia, weight gain, and unpredictable glucose patterns. These factors do not merely accompany diabetes; they actively accelerate the vascular complications that make diabetes dangerous.

Prioritising Nursing Issues

The first nursing priority is unstable blood glucose and the risk of acute metabolic decompensation. Mr Nguyen’s glucose reading, possible hyperglycaemic symptoms, dizziness, tachycardia, and recent fall require immediate assessment because uncontrolled hyperglycaemia may progress to dehydration, impaired cognition, or, in severe cases, hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state. The RACGP (2024) recommends individualised glycaemic targets, with HbA1c generally below 7 per cent for many non-pregnant adults, and structured assessment of hyperglycaemic symptoms, medication needs, self-monitoring, and complications. Addressing glucose first is justified because it may be the mechanism behind the fall and because acute metabolic instability can worsen every other problem.

The second priority is cardiovascular risk. Mr Nguyen’s tachycardia, low blood pressure, smoking history, alcohol intake, central adiposity, and dietary pattern suggest a high likelihood of future cardiovascular disease. Diabetes itself is a major cardiovascular risk factor because chronic hyperglycaemia damages endothelial cells, promotes oxidative stress, and accelerates atherosclerosis (RACGP, 2024). The nurse must therefore assess cardiovascular risk systematically, including blood pressure trends, lipid profile, renal function, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, family history, and symptoms of cardiac disease. This issue follows glycaemic instability because immediate safety comes first, but it cannot be deferred because cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes.

The third priority is injury risk and functional decline following the fall. Mr Nguyen’s fall occurred while he was making breakfast, suggesting a possible problem with balance, vision, hypotension, hypoglycaemia, footwear, kitchen safety, or fatigue. The Roper-Logan-Tierney activity of maintaining a safe environment is directly relevant because his home environment, physical ability, and family support influence whether he can remain safe while managing a chronic condition. The issue ranks third because it is not immediately life-threatening once serious injury and acute metabolic instability have been excluded, but it remains important because recurrent falls may lead to fracture, loss of confidence, reduced independence, and further deterioration.

Care Plan and Interventions

The care plan must be tailored rather than generic. Mr Nguyen’s frequent takeaway meals should not be addressed through a standard instruction to “eat healthy food.” A practical plan could identify affordable Vietnamese and other familiar meals that are lower in refined carbohydrate, salt, and saturated fat, while involving his household in shopping and cooking decisions. His smoking and alcohol use should be explored without judgement, using motivational interviewing and referral to Quitline, an accredited practising dietitian, and appropriate community services. His family arrangement offers an opportunity for support, provided Mr Nguyen consents and retains control over his own care decisions.

Digital Health Literacy and Resource Design

The poster and narration should be designed for graduate nurses who need clear clinical reasoning rather than basic patient information. The poster should use a visual pathway that moves from Mr Nguyen’s cues to nursing priorities, interventions, and evaluation criteria. A colour-coded priority table can distinguish immediate risks from medium-term risks, while icons can signal glucose monitoring, cardiovascular assessment, falls prevention, and cultural safety. The design should avoid dense paragraphs because visual hierarchy helps readers identify the most important clinical actions quickly.

The narration should explain the reasoning behind each decision. Rather than reading the poster aloud, the presenter should explain why hyperglycaemia precedes cardiovascular risk and fall prevention in the priority order. The narration should also acknowledge uncertainty: Mr Nguyen’s glucose value alone does not establish the cause of his dizziness, and the nurse must assess the full clinical picture before concluding that hyperglycaemia caused the fall. This critical approach reflects the expectation that graduate nurses interpret cues, question assumptions, and justify clinical decisions.

Accessibility should guide the resource design. Text should use high-contrast colours, readable fonts, short headings, and meaningful alt text where the resource is shared digitally. Evidence sources should be visible through numbered citations, with a reference list that allows graduate nurses to trace each recommendation to current Australian guidance or peer-reviewed evidence. The resource should also use inclusive language and avoid cultural stereotypes, presenting Mr Nguyen as an individual with his own preferences, strengths, family relationships, and capacity to participate in care.

Conclusion

Effective care for Mr Vinh Nguyen requires the nurse to connect clinical cues, disease mechanisms, and the realities of his daily life. Hyperglycaemia is the immediate priority because it may explain his dizziness and fall, while cardiovascular risk and fall-related vulnerability require structured, ongoing intervention. The Roper-Logan-Tierney model strengthens this approach by linking nursing care to Mr Nguyen’s eating, mobility, safety, family context, and capacity for self-management. A resource that presents these connections clearly will help graduate nurses move beyond describing diabetes and towards reasoned, culturally responsive clinical practice.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Diabetes in culturally and linguistically diverse Australians. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-culturally-linguistically-diverse/summary

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Diabetes: Australian facts. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes/contents/summary

Levett-Jones, T., Hoffman, K., Dempsey, J., Jeong, S. Y.-S., Noble, D., Norton, C. A., Roche, J., & Hickey, N. (2023). The five rights of clinical reasoning: An updated framework for nurse educators. Nurse Education Today, 121, 105678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105678

Magliano, D. J., Islam, R. M., Barr, E. L. M., Gregg, E. W., Pavkov, M. E., Harding, J. L., Tabesh, M., Koye, D. N., & Shaw, J. E. (2019). Trends in incidence of total or type 2 diabetes: Systematic review. BMJ, 366, l5003. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5003

Roper, N., Logan, W. W., & Tierney, A. J. (2000). The Roper-Logan-Tierney model of nursing: Based on activities of living. Churchill Livingstone.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2024). Management of type 2 diabetes: A handbook for general practice. https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/management-of-type-2-diabetes

Peer-Reviewed Sources

• Levett-Jones, T., Hoffman, K., Dempsey, J., Jeong, S. Y.-S., Noble, D., Norton, C. A., Roche, J., & Hickey, N. (2023). The five rights of clinical reasoning: An updated framework for nurse educators. Nurse Education Today, 121, 105678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105678

• Magliano, D. J., Islam, R. M., Barr, E. L. M., Gregg, E. W., Pavkov, M. E., Harding, J. L., Tabesh, M., Koye, D. N., & Shaw, J. E. (2019). Trends in incidence of total or type 2 diabetes: Systematic review. BMJ, 366, l5003. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5003

• American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2024). Comprehensive medical evaluation and assessment of comorbidities: Standards of care in diabetes. Diabetes Care, 47(Supplement_1), S52–S76. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc24-s004

• RACGP. (2024). Management of type 2 diabetes: A handbook for general practice. https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/view-all-racgp-guidelines/management-of-type-2-diabetes

• AIHW. (2024). Diabetes: Australian facts. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes/contents/summary

• AIHW. (2023). Diabetes in culturally and linguistically diverse Australians. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-culturally-linguistically-diverse/summary *