Nursing
LPNC 100 Drug Dosage Calculations and Pharmacology
Fall, 3 credit hours
This course introduces the principles related to pharmacology. It examines a variety of drug classifications and their effects on the body. The course places emphasis on use of the nursing process in drug administration and includes drug calculations.
Prerequisite/Co-requisite: LPNC 101, BIOL 217, ENGL 101, and PSYC 101. Practical Nursing Certificate Majors only.
LPNC 101 Practical Nursing Fundamentals
Fall, 8 credit hours
This course examines the evolution of nursing including current trends and introduces the health care delivery system to the student. Communication techniques, including documentation, are explored. Legal and ethical considerations, and the role of the LPN within healthcare are examined. Students will be encouraged to utilize the nursing process and critical thinking in providing nursing care to clients who are at various points on the health-illness continuum. In lab, students will develop skills fundamental to the practice of nursing. Lab and theoretical content will be applied in the long-term care setting.
Prerequisite/Co-requisite: LPNC 100, BIOL 217, ENGL 101, and PSYC 101. Practical Nursing Certificate Majors only.
LPNC 102 PRACTICAL NURSING SPECIALTY POPULATIONS
Spring, 3 credit hours
This course introduces students to assessments and nursing concepts focusing on maternity, newborn, pediatric, and mentally ill clients. The nursing process and critical thinking skills are utilized to adapt nursing concepts and procedures to these special populations.
Prerequisites: LPNC 100, LPNC 101, BIOL 217
Co-requisites: LPNC 103, BIOL 218, PSYC 101, ENGL 101
LPNC 103 PRACTICAL NURSING MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING
Spring, 8 credit hours
Students will utilize critical thinking and the nursing process in learning about fundamental disease processes and the LPN’s role in prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and the restoration of health in the adult client. Concepts related to safety, emotional support, communication, client teaching, and pharmacology is integrated throughout the course. Students utilize the nursing laboratory to enhance their psychomotor and critical thinking skills in practicing advanced nursing skills. Clinical experience provides opportunities for students to apply theory/lab in the medical-surgical units and specialty units of acute care hospitals and clinics.
Prerequisite: LPNC 100, LPNC 101, BIOL 217
Co-requisites: LPNC 102, BIOL 218, PSYC 101, ENGL 101
NURS 100 Professional NURSING Development
Spring, 1 credit hour
This course introduces practical nurses to the professional role, responsibilities, and expectations of the registered nurse and supports students’ transition to professional nursing practice. This course focuses on professional identity formation, scope of practice, ethical and legal responsibilities, clinical judgment, communication, and interprofessional collaboration.
Students will explore the differences between PN and RN roles, standards of professional nursing practice, and the influence of healthcare systems, quality improvement, patient safety, and evidence-based practice on nursing care.
Prerequisites: LPNC 100, LPNC 101
Co-requisites: LPNC 102, LPNC 103
NURS 101 FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING
Fall, 6 credit hours
This course provides the student with foundational knowledge and skills essential to nursing practice. Clinical and simulation experiences assist students in applying NURS 101 theory to client care. Skills practiced in the on-campus nursing laboratory and simulation environment facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to both simulated and real-world clinical settings. This course is open to nursing students only.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites: NURS 103, NURS 105, BIOL 217, ENGL 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
NURS 103 PHARMACOLOGY I
Fall, 1 credit hour
This introductory pharmacology course will explore the basic principles surrounding pharmacology. Topics include basic pharmacological principles, dosage calculations, regulatory compliance, patient education, and reduction of medication errors. Restricted to nursing students.
Prerequisites: None
Co-requisites: NURS 101, NURS 105, BIOL 217, ENGL 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY or permission of instructor.
NURS 104 PHARMACOLOGY II
Spring, 1 credit hour
This pharmacology course explores the various classifications of drugs and their associated nursing care, with an emphasis on safety principles of pharmacology. Students will examine medications used in psychiatric, reproductive, and obstetric care, as well as those commonly administered in maternal-newborn and mental health settings, including analgesics.
Prerequisites: NURS 101, NURS 103, NURS 105, BIOL 217, ENGL 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: NURS 106, NURS 107, BIOL 218, PSYC 101
NURS 105 NURSING SEMINAR
Fall, 1 credit hour
This course serves as an introduction to the nursing program. It includes differentiating a program of study from individual courses; Learning study skills and test taking strategies; practicing stress and coping techniques; learning the nursing tools available to students; nursing documentation & available forms; and enhancing organizational and time management skills, learning medical terminology. Students explore critical thinking within the context of nursing. The seminar format provides an opportunity to apply critical thinking to current coursework. Attendance with active participation in discussions is expected. Attendance is required in this course because of the importance of dialogue in thinking and learning. The different viewpoints shared during the seminar will help expand the thinking of all participants.
Prerequisites: None
Co-requisites: NURS 101, NURS 103, BIOL 217, ENGL 101
NURS 106 MATERNAL-Newborn NURSING
Spring, 4.5 credit hours - 7 week course
Concepts from nursing fundamentals are extended to the nursing care of the family. The course emphasizes utilization of all components of the nursing process in caring for individuals, within the context of family and community, during the childbearing period. Concepts of pregnancy, labor and delivery, post-partum, newborn and contraceptives will be discussed. The student will build on skills using the nursing process and critical thinking to meet maternal health care needs within the family system. Clinical experiences are provided in area hospitals, community agencies and women’s health clinics.
Prerequisites: NURS 101, NURS 103, NURS 105, BIOL 217, ENGL 101
Co-requisites: BIOL 218, NURS 104, NURS 107, PSYC 101
NURS 107 MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
Spring, 4.5 credit hours - 7 week course
This course offers an examination of concepts and theories related to psychiatric and mental health nursing within the context of the therapeutic relationship. Aspects of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention are addressed as a basis for promoting and sustaining optimum mental health functioning. Emphasis is placed on relationship-centered care, teamwork, quality and safety for diverse patient populations with psychiatric disorders.
Prerequisites: BIOL 217, NURS 101, NURS 103 and NURS 105; and ENGL 101.
Co-requisites: BIOL 218, NURS 104, NURS 106, and PSYC 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
NURS 200 PHARMACOLOGY III
Fall, 1 credit hour
This pharmacology course explores the various classifications of drugs, and their associated nursing care in the Medical Surgical patient. Drugs used to treat various chronic conditions and illness will specifically be discussed.
Prerequisites: NURS 104, NURS 106, NURS 107, BIOL 218. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: NURS 201, BIOL 209, SOCI 101
NURS 201 MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING I
Fall, 10 credit hours
Course content focuses on the application of the nursing process to the care of pediatric and adult patients experiencing medical-surgical conditions along the health-illness continuum. Topics include acute and complex disorders related to respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, oncologic, musculoskeletal, and fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base imbalances. Students apply their learning in medical-surgical clinical settings and through simulation experiences that promote clinical judgment, decision-making, and safe patient care. Skills practiced in the on- campus nursing laboratory and simulation environment facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to both simulated and real-world clinical settings.
Prerequisites: BIOL 218, NURS 104, NURS 106, NURS 107. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: BIOL 209, NURS 200, SOCI 101
NURS 202 MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING II
Spring, 10 credit hours
This course focuses on the application of the nursing process to the care of adult patients experiencing medical-surgical conditions along the health-illness continuum. Topics include acute and complex conditions related to cardiovascular, neurologic, hematologic, integumentary, immunologic, sensory, reproductive, emergency, and disaster events or disorders. Students apply their learning in medical-surgical clinical settings and through simulation experiences that enhance clinical judgment, prioritization, and safe patient care. Skills practiced in the on-campus nursing laboratory and simulation environment facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to both simulated and real-world clinical settings.
Prerequisites: NURS 200, NURS 201, BIOL 209, SOCI 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: NURS 203, NURS 204
NURS 203 PROFESSIONAL ISSUES AND TRENDS IN NURSING
Spring, 1 credit hour
Students explore and analyze socio-economic and political variables that affect professional nursing and healthcare. Students examine the professional growth and transition of the student nurse, current issues in healthcare, nursing management, and career development. This course is open to nursing students only.
Prerequisites: NURS 200, NURS 201, BIOL 208, SOCI 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: NURS 202, NURS 204
NURS 204 PHARMACOLOGY IV
Spring, 1 credit hour
This pharmacology course explores the various classifications of drugs and their associated nursing care. Drugs used to treat various acute and critical care conditions and illness will specifically be discussed. This course looks at the role of medications in the care of adult patients in the medical surgical setting. The student will learn various classifications of medications as well as their use, risks, benefits, and nursing education when administering medications.
Prerequisites: NURS 200, NURS 201, BIOL 209, SOCI 101. NURSING MAJORS ONLY.
Co-requisites: NURS 202, NURS 203
NURS 300 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS IN NURSING
Fall/Spring, 3 credit hours
This course examines the historical development and evolution of nursing theory and its interrelationship to research, professional nursing practice and professional nursing identity. The course includes critical thinking activities used to conceptualize, apply, analyze, and synthesize knowledge related to specific nursing theories and their importance in nursing education, practice, and research. This course also compares and contrasts different nursing theories that assists in identifying the uniqueness of the profession. A culminating group project that incorporates the students’ knowledge of nursing theory will be used to demonstrate an understanding of the relevance of theory to professional nursing practice.
Prerequisites: Completion of an AAS in Nursing and enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program.
Co-requisites: NURS 302, NURS 303 and NURS 304
NURS 302 LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES
Fall/Spring, 3 credit hours
In this course, students will analyze the legal and ethical issues surrounding contemporary nursing practice and their impacts on healthcare systems, patient populations, and social determinants of health. Nursing ethical principles, healthcare policy and advocacy will be explored, as well as a variety of current legal and ethical challenges. Students will explore evidence-based knowledge, nursing theories and current healthcare policy to analyze these challenges.
Prerequisite: Completion of an AAS in Nursing and enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program.
Co-requisite: NURS 300, 303 and 304
NURS 303 HEALTH ASSESSMENT IN NURSING
Fall/Spring, 4 credit hours
This course builds upon a Registered Nurses foundational assessment skills to enhance their diagnostic reasoning skills, patient centered care and application of proper documentation techniques. In collaboration with a student identified qualified preceptor (approved by the course instructor), students will have opportunities to apply and synthesize patient data, work as a member of multidisciplinary teams, analyze and revise patient plans of care, and provide patient educational support. In the clinical portion of this course, students will implement their enhanced assessment skills to display expanded understanding of holistic nursing care.
Prerequisite: Must hold a current unencumbered RN license-contact instructor. Completion of an AAS in Nursing and enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program.
Co-requisite: NURS 300, 302 and 304.
NURS 304 HEALTH PROMOTION AND RESTORATION
Fall/Spring, 3 credit hours
In this course, students will expand on their foundational health promotion knowledge to identify and understand how individuals define health and wellness. In analyzing the different perspectives of health and wellness, students are able to enhance their understanding of societal and/ or cultural gaps that inhibit health promotion and preventive care in diverse populations across the lifespan. In a culminating project students will identify a contemporary population health indicator, to promote health within the identified population and expand a patient’s knowledge and health literacy to improve patient wellness.
Prerequisites: Enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program.
Co-requisites: NURS 300, NURS 302 and NURS 303.
NURS 370 RESEARCH METHODS IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES
Fall/Spring, 6 credits
In this course, students will analyze the various sources of evidence and data, to then interpret their reliability and validity in safe, effective patient care. Students will examine the different types of research methods in nursing, explore research ethical concerns, and perform a research synthesis on an identified contemporary nursing problem. In a culminating project, students will complete a nursing research proposal meant to enhance nursing scholarship.
Prerequisites: Completion of an AAS in Nursing and enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program. MATH 141 (Statistics) or equivalent coursework. or permission of the instructor.
Co-requisites: NURS 402, NURS 403, NURS 400
NURS 400 Leadership and MANAGEMENT in Nursing
Fall/Spring, 3 credit hours
In this course students are introduced to various nursing leadership and management styles. Students will then explore their personal leadership style including their emotional intelligence, personality style and their personal perspectives on their strengths and opportunities in their nursing leadership capabilities. Building upon students foundational nursing leadership skills and knowledge, students will collaborate with an identified and approved qualified preceptor, to analyze and explore a healthcare system. In this analysis, students will evaluate the identified healthcare system to perform an organizational analysis. In this organizational analysis, students will identify a quality improvement opportunity and present the identified strengths and weaknesses to their partnered facility.
Prerequisites: Current unencumbered RN nursing license. Enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program. NURS 300, NURS 302, NURS 303, NURS 304
Co-requisites: NURS 370, NURS 402, NURS 403
NURS 402 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
Spring, 4 credit hours
In this course, students will examine public and community health theory and practice as they relate to the Registered Professional Nurse. Students in this course will apply public health principles, epidemiology, and community health nursing theory to conduct a community health assessment and implement a service-learning project within their identified community. This project will require the student to analyze a variety of community data including health outcomes, healthcare disparities, unique population needs, patient health literacy, community resources and community emergency preparedness. Students will need to identify a community mentor to collaborate with to complete the project.
Prerequisites: Enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program, active, nursing license. NURS 300, NURS 302, NURS 303, NURS 304
Co-requisites: NURS 370, NURS 400, NURS 403
NURS 403 TRANSCULTURAL NURSING
Fall/Spring, 2 credit hours
In this course, students review the influence of culture on client behaviors and health care practices and explore how cultural diversity impacts the delivery of nursing care for individuals, groups, and communities. Students will also analyze concepts such as personal identity and culture, implicit bias and reflect on how biases both implicit and explicit impact the care of diverse patient populations. Students will explore healthcare policies and how policy can improve or expand existing healthcare disparities and social determinants of health in underserved, diverse populations. This allows the student expansion of cultural competence knowledge and application to patient centered care.
Prerequisites: Nursing 300, 302, 303, 304. Enrolled in the RN-BS or Nursing Dual Degree program.
Co-requisites: NURS 370, 400, 402