Nursing

This clinical course introduces the role of provider of nursing care, with a focus on promotion of health and normative aging in individuals. Topics include basic nursing care skills, therapeutic nursing interventions, nursing care plans, medication administration, therapeutic communication and nursing documentation.

Students in this course will explore the philosophy, theory and tradition of holistic care practices. Through a medical humanities lens, we will examine questions such as: What is holism? How does holistic practice shape care systems and practices of individuals, families and communities? Students will explore holistic care practices in domestic and global contexts while exploring its philosophical, theoretical, historical and cultural frameworks. Students will be introduced to current evidence-based practice, complementary and alternative healing modalities and the dynamic, interconnected human health experience through the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes derived from standard models of holistic care and from national and global initiatives.

This is a nonclinical course that introduces the concepts of population-centered health care in the community. The focus is on the community as the client and also as the context of care for individuals, families and aggregates. Topics include community and health care systems, nursing roles and functions in the community, vulnerable populations, public health and community health issues and epidemiology.

This clinical course introduces the role of care provider for families experiencing normative childbearing and childbirth. Topics include prenatal development, neonatal assessment, family development, reproductive health, labor and birth and related nursing interventions in maternal-infant care.

This clinical course introduces the role of care provider for families experiencing normative childrearing and for children and adolescents who require restorative care. Topics include child and family development, nursing interventions with children and management of childhood illnesses.

In this clinical course students provide restorative care for adults in an acute care setting and begin to develop skills in the management of care for adults and their families. Topics include pathophysiology of disease, therapeutic nursing interventions with acute manifestations of diseases in major organ systems (cardiac, pulmonary, endocrine, gastrointestinal, neurological and musculoskeletal), fluid and electrolyte balances, perioperative care, health promotion and prevention.

In this clinical course, students provide restorative care for adults with psychiatric illness in an inpatient setting and develop skills in the assessment and management of mental health for adults and their families. Topics include psychiatric illnesses (depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome), therapeutic interventions and communication skills, psychotropic medications, coping, crisis intervention and special populations (children with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

This nonclinical course introduces evidence-based practice as it relates to the science of nursing. Selected research studies are presented and critiqued. Students identify a clinical problem, develop a PICO question, review sources of evidence, summarize the evidence, make recommendations for practice and disseminate findings. Ethical considerations and methods of protection of human subjects are integrated throughout the course.

Critical care nursing is a specialty within professional nursing practice that applies evidence-based practice to the care and management of clients experiencing emergent and life-threatening disease or trauma. The focus of this course is on the application and analysis of nursing theory and clinical knowledge across the continuum of adult medical-surgical critical care settings (eg, emergency room, intensive care unit, burn unit). This 2-credit elective will introduce students to fundamental concepts of critical care nursing and provide a basis for critical thinking relative to the nursing management of critically ill adult patients. This course will also begin acculturating students for future graduate nursing roles in intensive care settings.

This course will allow nursing students to explore a specialty area in nursing under the guidance of faculty. This individual study will include selected readings, online learning modules and clinical observations within the student’s identified specialty area of interest. Examples of specialty areas include: adult critical care, neonatal/pediatric critical care, geriatrics, cardiovascular, perioperative and others. If students have a different specialty area of interest, approval is needed from the chair of nursing department. In addition to the independent reading and online modules, students will also complete 40 hours of clinical shadowing and simulation experience within the specialty area studied.

The nursing role includes acting as provider, manager and coordinator of care for individuals, families and communities. This includes planning health promotion through normative transitions across the life span, prevention of events that compromise health and management and maintenance of optimal health for persons with chronic illness and disability. Students work with community mentors to identify and plan interventions based on the capacities of the community and the nursing program.

Students continue to work with partnering agencies to implement and evaluate the interventions that were designed in Leadership Capstone I. There is a greater focus on the leadership role of nurses in non-acute care settings. Topics include cultural influences on health, the role of human service organizations, expanded roles of nursing, the group process, interdisciplinary collaboration and evaluation methods. Weekly clinical seminar meetings allow students to benefit from the group experiences. Student projects are presented to internal and external audiences.

Students provide and coordinate complex restorative nursing care in the inpatient setting to acutely ill individuals and their families. Students work under the guidance of a clinical mentor to achieve competence in providing safe, effective nursing care at a novice level. Students explore professional issues and responsibilities to develop management and leadership skills as they assume a professional role. Weekly clinical seminars provide opportunities for analysis and evaluation of therapeutic nursing interventions and the professional role of nurses.

Students prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) utilizing a web-based program. A self-assessment is completed and a plan of study is developed in preparation for the NCLEX-RN exam. Strategies include the use of computerized exams and software and regularly scheduled meetings with faculty. Graded Pass/Fail.

Students continue preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) utilizing a web-based program. Based on the assessment and plan developed in NUR 445, students implement an individualized study plan and evaluate its effectiveness. Strategies include the use of computerized exams and software and regularly scheduled meetings with faculty.