Department of Nursing

This course presents a basic introduction to professional nursing and must be taken before enrolling in any other nursing course. The course presents a broad overview of the non-clinical aspects of the nursing experience such as the philosophy of the nursing program; hallmarks of a profession; nursing theory, history and educational paths; determinants of the scope of nursing practice; health promotion and models of health and illness; theories of stress, coping, grief and loss; professional and therapeutic communication; cultural diversity; and health care law and ethics. 3 hours lecture.

Prerequisite(s): admission into the B.S.N. program as a nursing major, or permission of the department chairperson and BI213.

This 1 credit course provides nursing students with a solid foundation in dosage calculation, a critical skill for safe and effective patient care. The course will cover essential concepts, techniques, and practical applications of dosage calculations, ensuring that students develop the necessary proficiency to administer medication accurately.

In this course, the students will utilize effective communication principles, nursing process; critical thinking, clients’ rights, nursing standards and the value of evidence-based practice provide a foundation for further study. Students learn the varied roles necessary for professional practice. Clinical practice issues integrate asepsis, client safety and documentation and health promotion, disease prevention strategies and health education. Selected clinical skills, introduction to pharmacology, and medical terminology are course components. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): Nursing major status; and BI213, BI214, and NU111.

In this course, the student is introduced to the fundamental knowledge and clinical skills needed to practice as a professional nurse. Health history, introduction to pharmacology, assessment and physical examination are presented and demonstrated. The learner is guided in differentiating between wellness and illness through conducting thorough and systematic physical, psychosocial, and cultural assessments of individuals across the lifespan. Application of the nursing process in beginning clinical practice will be highlighted. Skills relative to the practice of nursing are practiced in the clinical laboratory through simulated experiences and in selected settings. Students will perform health histories, practice basic assessment skills and therapeutic communication techniques, and perform review of systems in the simulation laboratory. 2 hours lecture, 3 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): Nursing major status; and BI213, BI214, and NU111.

This course prepares the learner to use the nursing process to plan, implement, and evaluate effective, collaborative, and culturally appropriate evidence-based plans of care that meet the bio/psycho/social needs of adult patients. The course builds on previous foundations of nursing practice with a focus on integrating pathophysiologic and pharmacologic concepts with the principles of the nursing process, health promotion, risk reduction, clinical decision making, and collaborative management of care for adults experiencing mild to moderate health alterations. Theoretical foundations are reinforced as the nursing process is applied to adult patients within the context of evidence-based patient- and family-centered care. The clinical experience focuses on the application of pathophysiologic and pharmacologic knowledge within the context of professional nursing practice in the nursing care of adult patients. As such, the clinical experience is based in settings that allow focus on the application of the clinical reasoning process, nursing diagnoses, patient outcomes, and nursing interventions in the care of patients across the adult lifespan and continuum of care. The clinical sites also support students’ developing responsibility for collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team. 3 hours lecture, 9 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): CH151, NU211, NU221, and NU275. Pre/

Corequisite(s): BI219. Corequisite(s): NU280.

This course introduces the students to basic concepts in pathophysiology as applied in current nursing practice. It builds on previous foundations in the biological sciences and focuses on the integration of pathophysiological with the principles of the nursing process. It introduces students to pathophysiological disturbances to normal body functions emphasizing differences in etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and treatments in individuals across the lifespan. The student will analyze objective and subjective manifestations of common health problems resulting from environmental, genetic and stress related conditions. Diagnostic testing, interventions and pharmacological treatments and related nursing implications are discussed as they relate to specific health problems. 3 hours lecture. This course is cross-listed with BI275 and ES275.

Prerequisite(s): BI213, BI214, and either NU111 or permission of the Nursing Department Chair.

This first course in the pharmacology series, taken concurrently with Evidenced-Based Nursing Care of the Adult I clinical course, is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills necessary for the student learner to safely and effectively administer and evaluate pharmacological therapies in patients. The course will supplement the drug-specific information that is threaded through each of the clinical courses and will emphasize basic and advanced principles of pharmacotherapy as it relates to patient care across the lifespan. Students will learn to use the nursing process in medication administration. Case studies and clinical simulations will be heavily utilized to promote patient safety as it relates to drug therapy. 2 hours lecture.

Prerequisite(s): NU221.

Corequisite(s): NU271.

The course presents a broad overview of the role of the baccalaureate nurse in today’s health care environment. Topics include nursing theory, history, and educational paths; determinants of the scope of nursing practice and top-of-license issues; population health concepts including determinants of health, health promotion, and disease prevention; cultural diversity; information and technology; and health care law and ethics. The student will analyze contemporary and emerging nursing and health care issues and trends that impact professional practice.

Prerequisite(s): Admission to RN to B.S.N. program.

This course prepares the learner to provide family-centered, evidence-based nursing care using concepts associated with the unique responses of families during childbearing, including normal and high risk pregnancies, as well as the unique responses of neonates and their families to acute and chronic illness. Students will learn to integrate family, cultural and developmental theories into evidence-based nursing practice with childbearing families in a variety of settings. Students will learn to provide effective, collaborative and culturally appropriate family-centered care while they continue to develop in their roles of clinical practitioner, patient educator, and patient advocate as they continue to develop their knowledge related to health promotion, risk reduction, and illness and disease management in contemporary society. The clinical experience focuses on the application of family and developmental theory to the diagnosis, intervention, related pharmacology, and outcomes management in the care of childbearing families. As such, the clinical experience is based in a variety of settings, allowing focus on the application of the clinical reasoning process, including formulation of nursing diagnoses, delivery of nursing interventions, and evaluation of patient outcomes in the care of childbearing families across the continuum of health. The clinical sites also support students’ developing responsibility for collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team. 2 hours lecture, 6 hours clinical.

Pre/corequisite(s): NU271 and NU280.

This course prepares the learner to integrate previous knowledge from the biophysical and psychosocial sciences, theories of human development and personality, and theories of human behavior with the art of the purposeful use of self to provide evidence-based nursing care to patients with behavioral health issues and their families in a variety of settings. Students will learn to provide effective, collaborative, and culturally appropriate psychiatric nursing care as they continue to develop in their roles of clinical practitioner, patient educator, and patient advocate, with a specific focus on health promotion, risk reduction, and the nursing management of psychiatric illness in contemporary society. The clinical experience focuses on the application of communication, developmental, and behavioral theory to the nursing diagnosis, intervention, and outcomes management in the care of psychiatric patients. To support these clinical foci, clinical experience is based in a variety of settings, including community-based self-help groups, providing learning opportunities in the application of clinical reasoning processes in the care of the patient with behavioral health needs across the continuum. The clinical sites also support students’ developing responsibility for collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team. 3 hours lecture, 6 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU271 and NU280.

This course presents in-depth exploration of material that was introduced in the NU111 Introduction to Professional Nursing and NU211 Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice related to knowledge translation into practice; particularly the processes and relationships among research, evidence-based practice, quality assurance, and performance improvement. Using the ACE Star model as a foundation, the course presents the knowledge translation process and offers the learner guided experience in such key knowledge translation activities as formulating PICO questions; performing literature searches; evaluating research studies and systematic reviews; and assessing clinical guidelines for applicability in clinical nursing practice.

Prerequisite(s): MA103, NU271, and NU280.

This course will focus on personal and community health advocacy. Being healthy involves making decisions that are right for each individual and being part of a community that promotes healthy behaviors. Advocating for individual health requires that the student has the confidence, basic understanding of advocacy, resources, and skills to make proper health decisions. This course will foster student health advocacy as skills are taught while students grapple with personal and social questions that affect their overall health and the health of others. This course will also put student health promotion into the hands of the students. They will be required to create a health initiative. These initiatives can be used to foster a healthier Georgian Court University community.

This course will delve into the core elements that define health policy. It will describe factors such as the health care delivery systems (public/nonprofits versus private/for-profits), access to care, health care financing, quality of care issues, and social issues such as gender and culture and their impact on health and health care. The dynamics of the policymaking process at different levels (federal, state, and local) will be explored, along with policy analysis and how policy influences health care decisions. The complexities and challenges of health care reform will be identified. This course is cross-listed with HRP351.

This course gives further foundation to students to provide patient-centered, evidenced-based nursing care using concepts related to the unique physiological, developmental, and psychosocial aspects of the older adult. Students will have the opportunity to consider fundamental aging and developmental theories, normal changes of aging and health deviations, and cultural influences for their impact on delivering evidence-based nursing practice to older adults. Students also will discuss appropriate strategies in providing effective, collaborative, and culturally appropriate patient-centered care that focus on health promotion, risk reduction, and illness and disease management. The course provides the opportunity for observations and field experiences based in a variety of older adult settings, allowing students to observe clinical reasoning processes, nursing diagnoses, patient outcomes, and nursing interventions in the care of older adults across the continuum of health and within multidisciplinary settings. 2 hours lecture.

This course continues preparation of the learner to use the nursing process to plan, implement, and evaluate effective, collaborative, and culturally appropriate evidence-based plans of care that meet the bio/psycho/social needs for adult patients with multisystem dysfunctions. The course builds on previous foundations of nursing practice of the adult patient and continues the focus of integrating pathophysiologic and pharmacologic concepts with the principles of nursing process, health promotion, risk reduction, clinical decision making and collaborative management of care for adults experiencing acute and chronic multisystem dysfunctions across the continuum of care. Theoretical foundations are reinforced as the nursing process is applied to adult patients within the context of evidence-based patient- and family-centered care. The clinical experience allows the learner the opportunity to apply pathophysiologic and pharmacologic principles within the context of professional nursing practice in the nursing care of adult patients with emergent and/or major alterations in health. As such, the clinical experience is based in settings that allow focus on the application of the clinical reasoning process, nursing diagnoses, patient outcomes, and nursing interventions in the care of patients across the adult lifespan with multisystem dysfunctions. The clinical sites also support students’ developing responsibility for collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team. 3 hours lecture, 15 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU271, NU280, and NU322.

This second course in the pharmacology series, taken concurrently with Evidenced-Based Nursing Care of the Adult II clinical course is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills necessary for the student learner to safely and effectively administer and evaluate pharmacological therapies in patients. The course will supplement the drug-specific information that is threaded through each of the clinical courses and will emphasize basic and advanced principles of pharmacotherapy as it relates to patient care across the lifespan. Students will learn to use the nursing process in medication administration. Case studies and clinical simulations will be heavily utilized to promote patient safety as it relates to drug therapy.

Prerequisite(s): NU271 and NU280.

Corequisite(s): NU371.

This course prepares the learner to apply principles of evidence-based care to promote and preserve health and prevent illness in families, groups, and populations in the community setting in the face of changing social, economic, political, and environmental realities. The course will allow students to integrate concepts and theories from epidemiology and public health nursing as well as knowledge gained from previous learning as applied to the health of populations and communities. The learner also will evaluate the influence of cultural diversity, economics, health policy, and ethics as they impact community health nursing practice. Concepts and principles of disaster planning are incorporated so that the student can gain a broad perspective on the nurse’s role in supporting emergency preparedness and response. The clinical component focuses on the assessment of the health care needs of the community as client, and on the planning and implementation of strategies to promote and maintain health and wellness for communities and populations in a variety of settings. The learner will conduct an in-depth community assessment employing basic epidemiological principles and data collection strategies and will utilize the nursing process to plan and implement strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. 3 hours lecture, 9 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU371 and NU380.

This course prepares the learner to provide family-centered, evidence-based nursing care using concepts associated with the unique responses of families during childrearing, including the unique responses of infants, young and school-aged children, adolescents and their families, to acute and chronic illness. Students will learn to integrate family, cultural and developmental theories into evidence-based nursing practice with childrearing families in a variety of settings. Students will learn to provide effective, collaborative and culturally appropriate family-centered care while they continue to develop in their roles of clinical practitioner, patient educator, and patient advocate while focusing on health promotion, risk reduction, and illness and disease management in contemporary society. The clinical experience focuses on the application of family and developmental theory to the diagnosis, intervention, and outcomes management in the care of childrearing families. As such, the clinical experience is based in a variety of settings, allowing focus on the application of the clinical reasoning process, including formulation of nursing diagnoses, delivery of nursing interventions, and evaluation of patient outcomes in the care of childrearing families across the continuum of health. The clinical sites also support students’ developing responsibility for collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary team. 2 hours lecture, 6 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU371 and NU380.

An advanced course designed to examine a particular topic in nursing through selected readings, lectures, class activities and/or student research. Student may repeat the course for additional credit when different topics are offered.

Prerequisite(s): NU325 and NU421.

This course gives students the foundation upon which to build their professional leadership skills. The course focuses on management principles, leadership concepts and theories, executive decision-making processes, and use of financial concepts and principles. Principles related to public policy development and healthcare economics also are explored. Students utilize critical thinking skills to analyze contemporary global, national, and local trends in nursing and health care and begin to develop the skills necessary to thrive in a turbulent healthcare environment. Students are given the opportunity to examine management principles as these relate to roles that are inherent in nursing management and administration positions through a capstone change project paper and presentation. This course gives students the opportunity to explore various leadership roles and styles through both observational and participatory experiences. 2 hours lecture, 3 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU421 and NU423.

An advanced course designed to allow for students to apply the learned concepts in the field and provide students with the opportunity to reflect on clinical experiences and help bridge the academia to practice gap. The course focuses on preparing the graduate nurse for professional licensure and practice. The course allows students to explore the concepts of delegation, prioritization, and collaboration with other healthcare disciplines in the delivery of quality healthcare in a variety of commonly-occurring patient scenarios throughout the continuum of care. Requirements for RN licensure will be reviewed, including Board of Nursing variations by state, the need for background investigations, licensure exam requirements, and initial and ongoing licensure requirements. A structured NCLEX RN review will be provided to assist students with the licensure examination. Students will prepare for entry into professional practice with an emphasis on preparing for the first nursing position after graduation and on orchestrating a nursing career path. Content on résumé preparation, portfolio development, residency programs and the need for lifelong learning will be presented. 3 hours lecture.

Prerequisite(s): NU421 and NU423

The generic nursing curriculum culminates in this course and provides students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge from all previous courses to deliver evidence-based patient- and family-centered nursing care to patients with complex health care issues across the adult lifespan. To aid in the transition into professional nursing practice, final-semester students will work one on one with a professional nurse preceptor under realistic shift and patient load conditions. Focus will be on the delivery of effective, collaborative, and culturally appropriate patient- and family-centered nursing care to several patients who require complex health care. This intensive course allows students to examine their practice through reflective journaling and class discussion. The course is designed to be taken with NU471. 2 hours lecture, 12 hours clinical.

Prerequisite(s): NU421 and NU423.