Nursing Course Descriptions
100. Introduction to Professional Nursing (1 credit)
This course gives an overview of nursing practice, education, and theory. Emphasis is placed on caring from a personal and professional perspective. The student is socialized into the profession through the examination of professionalism. Open to those considering Nursing as a major. Required of nursing majors. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 credits and declared nursing major, registered for at least two core courses or collateral requirements. Fall, possibly Spring.
200. Nursing Assessment of the Person (2 credits)
The focus of this course is the assessment of the person. Communication and physical examination skills are presented for use in conducting the nursing health history and physical health examination. The assessment of Functional Health Patterns provides a data base for the future identification of nursing diagnoses and a nursing care plan. The course includes clinical laboratory time following the theoretical component. Prerequisites: Nursing 100, Biology 205, 214, Chemistry 103, Psychology 101, Sociology 101, successful completion of math proficiency test. Co requisites: Nursing 201, Biology 206. Spring, and occasionally in the Fall with NURS 300 for qualified students.
201. Health and the Developing Person (3 credits)
This course focuses on the continuing, evolving changes that occur throughout the life of the person as he/she interrelates with the environment. These changes are identified within the perspective of Gordon’s topology of 11 functional health patterns. Concepts from the natural, behavioral, and social sciences provide the students with a framework for identifying commonly experienced biological, psychosocial, moral, and spiritual developmental changes experienced by individuals. Implications for health promotion and anticipatory guidance for the various age groups are addressed. Prerequisites: Nursing 100, Biology 205, Psychology 101, Sociology 101. Corequisites: Nursing 200, Biology 206. Spring.
202. Perspectives in Professional Nursing (3 credits) (RN students only)
This course focuses on nursing as a profession and the professional’s socialization for practice. Nursing as an art and science with a focus on human caring will be presented. This is the RN bridge course that can be taken after 50 general and prerequisite credits are completed. Spring.
300. Fundamentals of Human Care Nursing (4 credits)
This course focuses on the nursing roles of caregiver, teacher, and advocate. The student learns theory and basic intervention skills fundamental to the practice of professional nursing. The caring concepts are introduced and utilized with individuals. Prerequisites: Nursing 200, 201. Corequisites: Nursing 301, 311. Fall.
301. Care of Childbearing Families (4 credits)
In this course, students focus on theory and clinical practice related to the care of childbearing families. The human experience of pregnancy and childbirth is examined from a caring perspective and applied to nursing practice. Clinical in a maternity unit (nursery postpartum, gyne, labor and delivery) and clinics. Prerequisites: Nursing 200, 201. Corequisites: Nursing 300, 311, 316. Fall
302. Care of Adults with Acute Alterations in Health (4 credits)
In this course, students learn and apply theory and caring concepts related to the care of adults with acute alterations in health. Care is examined within various cultural contexts. Clinical in a hospital setting. Prerequisite: Nursing 300. Corequisites: Nursing 303, 416. Spring.
303. Care of Children (4 credits)
In this course, students learn and apply theory and caring concepts related to the care of children. Includes children with health alterations, promoting and protecting health, maximizing optimal functioning and working with families. Clinical in hospital and community settings. Prerequisite: Nursing 300, 301. Corequisites: Nursing 302, 416. Spring.
311. Human Nutrition (3 credits)
This course provides basic information regarding human nutrition and its relationship to wellness. Emphasis is placed on normal nutritional needs of individuals throughout life. Attention is directed to nutrition in clinical practice, presenting nutritional therapy for enteral and parenteral nutrition, metabolic stress, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, renal cancer and HI V/AIDS as well as global, national, state and community nutritional needs, problems. Open to other health majors who meet the prerequisites. Prerequisites: Chemistry 103, Biology 206. Corequisites: Nursing 300, 301. Fall
316. Pathophysiology and Pharmacology I (4 credits)
The student acquires a basic knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology for utilization in the professional practice of nursing. The effects of disease are viewed from a spirit-mind-body perspective. The course examines various disease processes, theft treatment modalities with emphasis on appropriate pharmacological interventions. Information presented will be applied to nursing courses given concurrently. Prerequisites: Nursing 300, 301. Corequisites: Nursing 300/301. Fall
333. Nursing/Health Elective: Aspects of Thanatology (2 credits)
The focus of this course will be on concepts relative to death and dying from a caring perspective. Prerequisite: None. Open to all majors. As needed.
334. Nursing Elective: Principles of Cross Cultural Nursing (2 credits) (RN students only)
This seminar course examines the influence of cultural backgrounds, beliefs, values, and practices on the health of individuals, families, and aggregates. The role of the nurse in maximizing wellness is addressed in relation to various ethnic cultures and subcultures. Emphasis on cultural diversity assists the nursing student to acquire a global perspective on issues dealing with the health and well-being of people. Prerequisite: Matriculation in the RN-B SN program. As needed.
335. Nursing/Health Elective: Intimate Human Behavior (2 credits)
The focus of this course is the exploration of concepts of intimacy and sexuality. The human experience of intimacy and sexual expression and its relationship to health is examined. Implications for the nurse and other health care providers are addressed. Prerequisite: None. Open to all majors. As needed.
337. Nursing/Health Elective: Addictions and Compulsions (2 credits)
The goal of this course is to provide a basic survey of theory, concepts, and practices relevant to addictive behavior, compulsive acts, dependency needs, and the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. A caring nursing perspective is utilized. The historical aspects and current epiderniological patterns of substance abuse and other addictive behaviors are presented. The individual, familial and societal effects of addictive and dependent behavior are emphasized. Prerequisites: None. Open to all majors. As needed.
338. Nursing Elective: Nursing in a Foreign Country (2 credits)
This course examines professional nursing in a selected country, viewing it within its cultural context and from ethnic, political, geographic, educational, and economic perspectives. Nursing’s commitment to caring, its professional development, and the nursing roles which are employed in the delivery of that country’s health care are studied. A trip to the foreign country comprises the focal point of this course. Prerequisite: Nursing 300. As needed.
339. Nursing Elective: Spiritual Dimensions in Nursing Practice (2 credits)
This course focuses on the concept of spirituality, its relationship and application to nursing practice. Spirituality in nursing practice is addressed from an historical, contemporary, and personal perspective. The student examines the effects of his/her own spirituality on one’s nursing practice. Prerequisite: Nursing 300 or matriculation in RN-B SN program. As needed.
401. Care of Individuals With Life-Threatening Alterations in Health (4 credits)
Focuses on theory and clinical practice related to the care of individuals with life- threatening alterations in health. Various aspects of the critically ill adult, including the experience of death and dying, are examined from a caring perspective and applied to nursing practice. Prerequisites: Nursing 302, 303, 316, 416. Philosophy 312. Corequisites: Senior standing. Fall
402. Care of Individuals with Alterations in Psychiatric/Mental Health (4 credits)
The course focuses on theory and clinical practice related to the care of individuals with alterations in psychiatric/mental health. Caring concepts are applied to individuals with acute and chronic psychiatric/mental health disorders. Prerequisites: Nursing 301, 302, 303, 316, Philosophy 312. Corequisites: Senior standing. Fall or Spring
403. Nursing Research (3 credits)
This course focuses on the research process and its relationship to nursing theory and practice. It provides a basic introduction to quantitative and qualitative nursing research enabling the student to critically read and appraise the research that others have conducted, and to write a research proposal. Prerequisites: Statistics 101, Nursing 302, 303, 316, 416. Corequisites: Senior standing. Fall or Spring.
404. Care of Individuals with Chronic Alterations in Health (4 credits)
The course focuses on theory and clinical practice related to individuals with chronic alterations in health. The human experience of chronicity with all its
implications is examined from a caring perspective for application to nursing practice. Prerequisites: Nursing 401, 410, 416. Corequisites: Nursing 402, 403,
405, 411. Spring.
405. Care of Human Communities (4 credits)
The course focuses on theory and clinical practice related to the care of human communities. Caring concepts are applied in the home and community settings. Corequisites: Nursing 401. Senior standing. Fall or Spring.
406. Advanced Concepts (6 credits) (RN-only course.)
Course focuses on advanced concepts related to the care of individuals/families experiencing alterations in life-threatening and chronic health. Caring philosophy will be implemented, and these problems will be examined primarily using a case study approach. Clinical is based on individual educational needs. Prerequisite: Nursing 202. Corequisites: Nursing 416
410. Nursing Management/Leadership Theory (3 credits)
This course focuses on principles of nursing management and leadership within a caring framework for the practice of nursing. Decision making, critical thinking, change, motivation, management process, operational skills and more are studied. Corequisites: Senior standing. Fall.
411. Nursing Management/Leadership Practicum (2 credits)
This course enables the student to implement beginning management and leadership skills for use in the creation of a caring environment. The student is directly supervised by a preceptor. Prerequisites: Completion of first term of senior year. Corequisites: Second term of senior year. Fall or Spring.
412. Professional Nursing Seminar (2 credits)
This course focuses on issues related to the role of the nurse as a member of a profession. Emphasis is placed on professionalism, contemporary issues, and futuristic trends in order to identify strategies that impact on nursing as a caring profession. Corequisites: Senior Standing. Fall.
416. Pathophysiology and Pharmacology II (3 credits)
The student acquires further knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology for utilization in the professional practice of nursing. The effects of disease are viewed from a body-mind-spirit perspective. The course examines various disease processes, their treatment modalities with emphasis on appropriate pharmacological interventions. Information presented will be applied to nursing courses given concurrently. Prerequisite: Nursing 316. Corequisites: Nursing 302, Spring.
437. Nursing Elective: Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing Practice (2 credits)
This course focuses on the nursing management of individuals receiving various types of pharmacological therapy. The student uses the case study format to examine the use and effects of various drug classifications in the management of illness. Prerequisite: Nursing 302, 316. Fall
441. Nursing Elective: Ethical Issues in Nursing (2 credits)
An introduction to the ethical dilemmas confronting the nurse in today’s society. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own values as well as to examine current health issues from an ethical perspective. Emphasis will be placed on the ethical decision-making process and moral reasoning. Current legislation, political controversies, and economic constraints that affect the caring attitude of the professional nurse will be addressed. Prerequisites: Philosophy 312, Nursing 302, 303. As needed.
455. Nursing Elective: Nursing Informatics (2 credits)
Provides opportunity for the nurse to acquire and apply knowledge and skills from computer sciences to the health care field. Senior standing.
499. Special Topics (1-3 credits each)
Exploration of special topics in such areas as determined by faculty and student interest. Prerequisites: vary according to course. Fall, Spring. Senior nursing students are eligible to take Physical Therapy 553, Special Topics: Interdisciplinary problem- based Learning (2 credits) with PT, OT, and PA majors. This is equal to a nursing elective for nursing majors. Allows additional opportunity to explore an area of interest and advanced study. Involves work with small group with faculty mentor. Spring.
501. Health Education and Wellness (3 credits) (School Nurse Certificate Program Course)
In this course the student will focus on health education needs, and health promotion-disease prevention programs for children in the school system and their families. This course will identify methods of maximizing wellness of individuals and families. It will identify methods of assessment, development, management, and evaluation of health programs.
502. School Nurse Theory and Practice (5 credits) (School Nurse Certificate Program)
This is the capstone course in the program, consisting of three credits of theory and two credits of school nurse practice (100 hours). This course examines in-depth the role of the school nurse in the school setting. It focuses on the student in relation to the school and community. It identifies the nurses’ responsibility for enhancing the students’ learning in relation to health promotion/disease prevention, maintenance of health, and maximizing the children’s potential and wellness. The course will provide opportunities for identification and implementation of strategies to keep children well and in the classroom. The focus is on the school community with emphasis on the student and family. Cultural and environmental issues specific to health of the school community will be addressed. Students will have practice in primary and secondary school settings.