NUR - Nursing

For basic students only. This course introduces students to the foundations of professional nursing practice. Topics include historical, philosophical and theoretical perspectives in nursing. In addition, the concepts of caring, communication, critical thinking and cultural competence are introduced. Emphasis is placed upon self-care, the nursing process, nursing theory, and legal and ethical aspects of nursing.

For basic students only. This course provides students with a basic understanding of pathophysiology from a structural and functional organizational framework. It builds upon the student's knowledge in the sciences, and explores how alterations in structure and function disrupt the body as a whole. Physiological changes across the lifespan are examined. Students utilize critical thinking to analyze selected diseases for symptomatology, pathophysiology and implications for health care intervention.

This course provides the beginning nursing student with laboratory and clinical experiences directed toward the acquisition of foundational knowledge and skills to give safe, effective patient care to diverse populations. Focus is placed on the application of foundational knowledge learned in NUR 213. Experiences include skills lab, interactive computer activities, simulation and clinical experiences.

For basic students only. (NUR 218 and 218L must be taken concurrently.) This course provides the basic nursing student with knowledge and skills to obtain and record a health history and physical examination. Assessing the level of health and wellness of clients throughout the lifespan also is included. The course provides both a didactic and laboratory experience.

This course focuses on providing a continuum of care for women from the time of menarche through menopause. Students will focus on nursing care provided for women and families during preconception, normal and high-risk pregnancy, intrapartum and postpartum periods. Focus is also placed on the nursing care of the healthy and high-risk neonate. In addition, emphasis is also placed on women’s health across the lifespan.

For basic students only. This course explores the concepts and theories necessary to promote and restore health of adults and older adults with biological problems and their related physiological and psychological responses. There is an integration of both physical changes and developmental tasks with the implementation of care considerations of patients throughout the life span.

For basic and pre-MSN students. The health care delivery system is examined from political, economic, legal and ethical perspectives with particular emphasis on the written analysis of legal and ethical dilemmas related to the practice of nursing.

For basic students only. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of pharmacology and therapeutics in the treatment of illness, and the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health in patients across the lifespan. The major drug categories are reviewed with emphasis placed on the therapeutic use, action and adverse reaction, as well as benefits and risks to the drug therapy. This prepares the health professional for safe, therapeutic pharmacological interventions.

For basic students only. This course examines advanced concepts related to patients experiencing complex multi-system biological problems and related physiological and psychological responses.

This course will review the key concepts of palliative care and end-of-life nursing care. Topics covered utilizing the End-of-Life Nursing Consortium (ELNEC) training modules will include: pain and symptom management, ethical issues, cultural considerations, communication techniques, care during the final hours of life, and loss, grief and bereavement. In addition, the practice of palliative care in special populations and in various settings will be discussed. This course will be highly interactive and will include opportunities to hear from guest speakers that are experts in the field of palliative and end-of-life care.  

Open to non-nursing students. This course examines alternative health practices from a cross-cultural perspective. Healing interventions such as acupuncture, biofeedback, homeopathy, meditation, and traditional Chinese and herbal medicine are studied and demonstrated by practitioners. Emphases are on the historical underpinnings of holistic health practices and the political/economic ramifications on global health. This course also compares and contrasts nontraditional modalities of health care with industrial models.

For basic students only. This course introduces the novice nursing student to the field of nursing informatics. Nursing informatics is the specialty that integrates nursing science with information technology and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage, and communicate data, information, and knowledge to support nursing practice in providing safe patient care.  Focus of this course includes identifying, researching, and presenting a proposal to update a specific health care technology device with the primary focus of patient safety.

An independent study that provides students with an opportunity to pursue a topic or project under the guidance of a nursing faculty member. By permission of instructor and department director. May include a practicum.

For elective credit only. An in-depth study of a selected nursing topic of concern to students and faculty. Emphasis is on contemporary issues affecting nursing and health care.

This course focuses on current practice issues related to the emerging role of the nurse practitioner in health care delivery.  Emphases are on critical review and analysis or role implementation strategies, and role performance as a clinician, educator, case manager, leader, consultant and colleague.

This course builds on foundational nursing assessment knowledge, focusing on advanced health assessment practices and diagnostic reasoning across the lifespan, with an emphasis on primary care settings. Students will enhance skills in therapeutic communication, medical history review, advanced history-taking, and physical examination to establish accurate diagnoses for various client encounters. Topics include reviewing medical records, recognizing normal vs. abnormal findings, interpreting diagnostic tests, and applying critical thinking to formulate differential diagnoses. Students will also consider how cultural, developmental, and psychosocial factors impact assessments and decision-making.

This course provides the opportunity for the advanced practice nurse (APN) to understand and integrate health promotion concepts using a patient centered, culturally sensitive approach. The impact of health care policy is critically analyzed.  Emphasis is focused on the role of the APN in shaping and influencing policy through advocacy and leadership to improve patient outcomes. The students are prepared to address ethical issues in nursing. This includes principles of planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidenced-based care to individuals, families, and communities.

This practicum course provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in caring for the older adult in primary care settings. This practicum includes supervised clinical practice in a variety of settings. Students may enroll in no more than one practicum course in a single academic term.

This course prepares students in the management of normal and common health pattern variations pertaining to older adult health care in the primary care setting. It provides students with a theoretical base to assess, diagnose and manage the care of older adults across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on collaborative management to achieve desired outcomes. Students will focus on promotion, maintenance and restoration of the older adult’s health patterns. Culturally competent, holistic, ethical, age and gender specific and risk stratified care will be discussed. Evidence based practice will be the basis for care management.

This course prepares students in the management of normal and common health pattern variations pertaining to women’s health care in the primary care setting. It provides students with a theoretical base to assess, diagnose and manage the care of women across the lifespan.  Emphasis is placed on collaborative management to achieve desired outcomes. Students will focus on promotion, maintenance and restoration of women’s health patterns. Culturally competent, holistic, ethical, age and gender specific including risk stratified care will be discussed. Evidence based practice will be the basis for care management.

This practicum experience provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in caring for infants, children and adolescents in primary care settings. Students may enroll in no more than one practicum courses in a single academic term.

This practicum course provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in caring for women in primary care settings. Students may enroll in no more than one practicum courses in a single academic term.

An in-depth study of a selected nursing topic of concern to students and faculty. Emphasis is on contemporary issues of global relevance affecting nursing and health care.