NURSING ACCELERATED BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (NUR/A)

The student will refine skills in basic math principles as a foundation for medication administration while beginning to build communication skills that are used throughout the profession. The basics of physical health assessment will also be introduced.

Foundational nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes are cultivated in the student in preparation for delivering safe, patient- centered care. The focus on health and physical assessment techniques and evidence-based nursing intervention provides the framework for student nurses to begin providing quality and compassionate nursing care.

Student nurses will apply theoretical nursing knowledge when using the nursing process to care for a patient. Assessment and fundamental nursing interventions comprise the student nurse-patient relationship. The student will begin to develop the clinical decision-making skills needed to deliver safe, patient-centered care. Clinical experiences will be conducted in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical and virtual simulation laboratory, and healthcare agencies.

The pathology of disease, severity of body symptoms, and the impact on patient function across the lifespan will be explored. Concepts of pharmacology and principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics will be integrated across the course. The learner will build a foundation of knowledge used to assess the patient's health condition and provide health promotion strategies that include patient teaching.

This course will address professional role development, integrating concepts of multidimensional care and skills of inquiry and analysis to inform clinical decision-making, professional practice, and lifelong learning. Concepts and theories basic to the art and science of nursing will be examined to support the broad context in which professional nursing care is provided.

The student nurse is introduced to Linda Caputi's Framework of Thinking like a Nurse. Teaching-learning strategies will explore the deliberate, skillful, responsible, and thoughtful critical thinking expected of professional nurses. Students will begin thinking like a nurse using everyday situations and will begin to apply critical thinking strategies to clinical scenarios with the goal of demonstrating clinical reasoning and safe clinical decision making.

This course will introduce the conceptual and theoretical frameworks used to assess the determinants of health and provide safe and compassionate care for patients with acute medical and surgical conditions and chronic health conditions throughout the lifespan. Course content is delivered within the context of maximizing patient health and minimizing risk.

Learners will conduct the nursing process when caring for patients with acute and chronic health conditions. The student nurse will assess, plan, deliver, and evaluate safe and quality patient-centered care using therapeutic communication and evidence- based nursing interventions. Collaboration with social support systems and the inter-professional team will be expected. Principles of patient teaching will be applied to various clinical situations. Clinical experiences support the development of clinical judgment. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.

Building on the knowledge of disease processes within the human system, comorbid symptomatology and the additive effects of polypharmacy will be explored. Conducting the nursing process within a complex, multisystem presentation of symptoms will frame course content.

This course will expose learners to be consumers and users of health-related evidence and best nursing practice guidelines. The connection between theory and nursing practice and the components of the research process support evidence-based nursing interventions and clinical judgement. Professional writing is emphasized.

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks guide the nursing process in providing compassionate care for patients, families, and populations experiencing alteration in mental health and substance use disorders. Nursing care is explored within the context of current healthcare policy and evidence, including legal regulations and best practice guidelines. The emphasis on effective and therapeutic communication strategies throughout the nursing process is emphasized to minimize risk maximize mental health.

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks guide the safe and compassionate nursing care for patients, families, and populations experiencing alteration in mental health and substance use disorders. Learners will begin to apply nursing knowledge in various clinical situations. Appropriate communication strategies, including patient teaching, and development of therapeutic relationships with patients as well as their social support network and the inter-professional team in a variety of healthcare systems are emphasized. Clinical experiences support the evolution of clinical judgement. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.

Building on an established nursing knowledge base, the safe, quality, and compassionate care for patients with complex health conditions within a complex healthcare system will be presented. The learner will select and adapt nursing interventions and patient teaching strategies based on the complexity of the patient’s health condition. Course content will be delivered within the context of current healthcare policy and the availability of evidence and resources with the goal of maximizing health and minimizing risk.

Learners will conduct the nursing process when caring for patients with complex health conditions and comorbidities in complex healthcare systems. The student nurse will assess, plan, deliver, and evaluate safe and quality patient-centered care using therapeutic communication and evidence-based nursing interventions. Collaboration with social support systems and the interprofessional team will be expected. Clinical experiences support further evolution of clinical judgement. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks will prepare students to promote health and provide care for individuals, families, and aggregates in the global community. The evolution of global healthcare will be outlined. Multiple determinants of population health will be explored and incorporated in the safe, ethical, and compassionate care of healthy and vulnerable populations in the community setting. Course content will be delivered within the context of current socio-political environment, social justice principles, and availability of evidence with the goal of maximizing health and minimizing risk to the population.

The student nurse will demonstrate clinical judgement in the role of global health nurse by prioritizing care for individuals, families, and/or aggregates in the community. Under the direct supervision of a community partner and the indirect supervision of the clinical faculty, the student will identify a priority health need in the community; plan, develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based health promotion project, noting the community’s strength(s) and resources. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.

The student will continue to develop automatic thinking skills as the Linda Caputi Framework of Think like a Nurse is applied to complex nursing scenarios. The student performs the act of noticing, interpreting, responding, and reflecting in a wide variety of clinical scenarios and with diverse patient populations. As clinical judgement is developed, the student recognizes and analyzes cues to form hypotheses. Appropriate evidence-based interventions are generated and evaluated as safe patient-centered care is delivered. Clinical reasoning and decision making are appropriate and are professionally communicated to the members of the interprofessional healthcare team.

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks are used to assess the determinants of family health and guide the safe and compassionate care for the family unit. Course content will be delivered within the context of current healthcare policy, best practice guidelines, and growth and development principles. Maximizing family health and minimizing risk is achieved through evidence-based nursing interventions implemented across the family unit and throughout the continuum of care.

The learner will conduct the nursing process when caring for the family unit, with special consideration of age and principles of developmental stage. The student nurse will assess, plan, deliver, and evaluate safe and quality patient-centered care using therapeutic communication and evidence-based nursing interventions. Collaboration with social support systems and the inter- professional team will be expected. Clinical experiences provide the student nurse an opportunity to execute clinical judgement. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.

Socialization of the student to contemporary issues in professional nursing practice will be emphasized. The roles of the nurse as a leader and manager in the structure of the healthcare system will be explored. System-based practice and specific work unit environments will be examined to ensure quality and safety in the delivery of patient-centered care. Specific concepts of leadership, change, conflict, workplace violence, performance evaluation, delegation, self-care, and life of inquiry will be examined. The student will be prepared for role transition from student nurse to registered nurse.

The synthesis of liberal arts, science, and nursing knowledge will guide clinical judgement and professional practice. The student will begin to perform nurse roles such as delegator, leader, and manager within the work unit while performing the nursing process to promote safe, compassionate, patient-centered care. Clinical experiences may be conducted in a variety of clinical settings including, but not limited to, the clinical skills laboratory, clinical simulation laboratory, virtual simulation, and healthcare agencies.