Academic Catalog

Nursing (NURS)

NURS-101  Professional Nursing  (2 Credits)  

This course explicates the values and philosophy of the Nursing Program and helps students develop an understanding of issues confronting the profession. Emphasis is on developing a historic perspective, exploring trends and policy issues, and identifying socio-cultural forces that affect the quality, nature and delivery of quality nursing care.

Prerequisite(s): Nursing major  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-298  Independent Study  (1-4 Credits)  

Reading/writing or in-depth exploration of a selected area of nursing with a faculty member. May be repeated.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor  
NURS-302  Fundamentals of Nursing  (4 Credits)  

This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations of practice and begins to establish the knowledge, attitudes and skills required in the field. The course will emphasize the need for nurses to recognize and respond to patient values and needs with respect and compassion in a coordinated health care environment.

Prerequisite(s): Take NURS-101 or NURS-301, and NURS-312  
Offered: Fall, Every Year  
NURS-303  Nursing Pharmacology I  (2 Credits)  

This introductory nursing pharmacology course focuses on developmentally relevant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetics. These processes include drug therapy which is essential to prevent adverse drug interactions and patient harm. This course explores basic physiological mechanisms underlying illness and disease, and the positive outcomes associated with health promotion and disease prevention.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-101 and NURS-312  
Corequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-304, and NURS-306  
Offered: Fall, Every Year  
NURS-304  Clinical: Patient Centered Care  (4 Credits)  

Pre-licensure nursing students are introduced to the holistic care of clients, beginning clinical decision-making and therapeutic nursing interventions as the foundation of nursing practice. Nursing process, assessment, documentation, therapeutic communication skills, aseptic technique and medication administration and other fundamental nursing skills are included.Graded Pass/Fail.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-101 and NURS-312  
Corequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-303, and NURS-306  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-306  Pathophysiology for Nursing  (2 Credits)  

This course focuses on concepts of pathophysiology essential to understanding alterations in body systems at a cellular and organ system level. The fundamental principles of nursing will be integrated to support clinical decision making for health promotion, risk reduction, and disease management.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-101 and NURS-312  
Corequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-303, NURS-304  
Offered: Fall, Every Year  
NURS-307  Evidence Based Clinical I  (4 Credits)  

This clinical course provides opportunities to apply knowledge and skills to caring for clients across the lifespan. Clinical experiences promote disciplined decision-making, support effective communication, and facilitate positive patient outcomes, while reducing error using nursing informatics to communicate nursing care and patient outcomes, and communicate with others. Graded Pass/Fail.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-303, NURS-304, and NURS-306  
Corequisite(s): NURS-308, NURS-309, NURS-314, and NURS-316  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-308  Medical Surgical Nursing I  (4 Credits)  

This course addresses restorative care for adults in medical and surgical care settings. Topics include pathophysiology of disease, therapeutic nursing interventions for acute and chronic manifestations of diseases in major organ systems.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-303, NURS-304, and NURS-306  
Corequisite(s): NURS-307, NURS-309, NURS-314, and NURS-411  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-309  Nursing Research I  (2 Credits)  

The course prepares students to identify researchable clinical problems in healthcare settings, understand the research process, compare and contrast the processes of EBP and QL. Students develop skills to critically analyze research studies and apply research outcomes. Research studies are critically analyzed with regard to their implications for clinical practice.

Prerequisite(s): MATH-141 and NURS-101  
Corequisite(s): NURS-308  
NURS-311  Clinical Calculations  (2 Credits)  

This course prepares students to calculate dosage and solutions for beginning nursing practice. Students will learn how to make conversions between measurement systems, calculate drug and fluid dosages, and understand drug calculations for specialty areas.

Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-312  Health Promotion & Assessment  (4 Credits)  

Examine models of health in wellness promotion and illness prevention across the lifespan. Emphasis on the individual in context of family and environment. Focus on appraisal of risk and assessment skills for diverse groups in the Simulation Lab.

Prerequisite(s): Nursing major and BIO-230, BIO-332, and ISPSYC-312  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-314  Nursing Pharmacology II  (2 Credits)  

This course focuses on understanding pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic processes following drug therapy. Concepts are essential to prevent drug interactions and patient harm. Pharmacology II will explore processes and integrate physiological mechanisms, underlying illness and disease, and the positive outcomes associated with health promotion and disease prevention.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-303  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-316  Psychosocial Nursing  (4 Credits)  

Students develop the knowledge necessary to identify, apply, and evaluate current evidence to support clinical expertise. Decision-making skills that demonstrate compassionate awareness of patient and family preferences, experience, and values will be developed. Therapeutic interventions for acute, chronic, and mental health alterations are presented.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-302, NURS-303, NURS-304 and NURS-306 or permission of instructor  
Corequisite(s): NURS-307, NURS-308, NURS-309 and NURS-314  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-403  Evidence Based Practice II  (4 Credits)  

Students apply nursing knowledge and skills in community health, occupational health, psych mental health agencies, and function as a member of a health care team to ensure positive outcomes. Clinical sites will include community clinics, hospitals, and a psych mental health facility. Patients and sites will vary depending on availability. Graded Pass/Fail.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-307, NURS-308, NURS-314 and NURS-316  
Corequisite(s): NURS-407 and NURS-411  
Offered: Fall, Every Year  
NURS-404  Nursing Leadership  (4 Credits)  

This course introduces leadership roles and management functions of professional registered nurses within the structure of an organization. The management process provides structure for exploring organization, management, and behavioral theories. Accountability for quality assurance and legal authority for nursing practice, the impact of political and legislative processes, and ethical issues in management are also discussed.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-403 and NURS-407  
Corequisite(s): Take concurrently with NURS-406 and NURS-410  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-405  Nursing Research II  (2 Credits)  

The course reinforces the principles of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the application of statistical analysis of data, the utilization of information systems for accessing, storing and analyzing data, as well as the application of theoretical constructs to frame clinical questions and/or a research proposal.

Prerequisite(s): MATH-141, NURS-309  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-406  Transition to Practice Clinical  (4 Credits)  

This clinical immersion course fosters transition from student nurse to practicing professional nurse. Students participate in the interdisciplinary provision of quality health care. Students will participate in management within health care organizations and test quality control methods which promote the application of research in nursing practice.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-403 and NURS-407  
Corequisite(s): NURS-404 and NURS-405  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-407  Medical Surgical Nursing II  (4 Credits)  

Students develop the knowledge necessary to identify, evaluate and apply the best current evidence in developing clinical expertise, while considering adults' and families' preferences, experiences, and values to make practice decisions. Therapeutic interventions pertaining to the care of the client experiencing illness and health deficiencies will be presented.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-307, NURS-308, NURS-314 and NURS-316  
Corequisite(s): NURS-403 and NURS-411  
Offered: Fall, Every Year  
NURS-408  NCLEX-RN Preparation & Review  (2 Credits)  

Provides students with the opportunity to review their mastery of nursing content, compute CAT test-taking skills and strategies, and the psychomotor aspects of high stakes testing in preparation for the NCLEX-RN.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-407  
Offered: All, Every Year  
NURS-410  Medical Surgical Nursing III  (2 Credits)  

The course incorporates case scenarios and patient simulation that actively engage students in critical-thinking and clinical decision-making. Students explore physiological and psychological principles of complex illnesses building upon knowledge from previous nursing courses. Focus is on collaborating with other healthcare professionals, managing patient care and quality improvement. Corequisites NURS-404, NURS-406.

Prerequisite(s): NURS-308, NURS-407  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-411  Parent Child Nursing Care  (4 Credits)  

Critical thinking and the nursing process are used to provide therapeutic nursing interventions to care for the childbearing family while maintaining health and promoting wellness. Focus is on advanced assessment techniques and nursing skills, caring for the childbearing family, clients in schools, and the pediatric population.

Corequisite(s): NURS-403 and NURS-407  
Offered: Spring, Every Year  
NURS-498  Independent Study  (1-4 Credits)  

Reading/writing or research in a slected area of nursing with a faculty member. May be repeated.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor