Effective: 2025-05-01

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is to introduce the novice student to the basic concepts of nursing practice and conceptual learning.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: BIO 141 or BIO 231

Course Objectives

• Demonstrate the use of therapeutic communication, caring behaviors and patient self -determination in the provision of basic nursing care.
• Describe the components of the clinical judgment measurement model and the nursing process.
• Apply clinical judgment to meet the basic needs of clients related to course concepts across the lifespan.
• Identify and report patient safety issues and risks.
• Provide safe basic nursing care with guidance using the core concepts identified.
• Demonstrate professionalism and professional behaviors.
• Identify quality improvement and informatics principles used in patient care.
• Compare and contrast the roles of the health care team.
• Identify principles of pharmacology related to the identified concepts.
• Identify the safety practices necessary for medication preparation and administration.

Major Topics to be Included

• Safety Concept:
• Overview of safety science
• Safety assessment
• Use approved terminology
• Exemplars: medication errors, falls, and poor interprofessional communication
• Clinical Judgment Concept:
• Steps of the nursing process
• Steps in making clinical judgments
• Assess the need for referral and obtain orders
• Exemplars: care plans, concept maps
• Infection Concept
• Principles of infection
• Chain of infection
• Hospital-associated infections
• Client risk factors for infection
• Infection control policies
• Interprofessional roles
• Pharmacology: Broad Spectrum, Glycopeptide antibiotics (ex. Vancomycin), Metronidazole, Sulfonamides (ex. Sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim), Ciprofloxacin, Penicillin, Peak and Trough Levels
• Exemplars: Methicillin Resistant Antibiotic (MRSA infections, Clostridium Difficile (C.diff), urinary tract infection
• Mobility Concept:
• Principles of mobility
• Developmental considerations in mobility
• Principles of body mechanics
• Assessment and nursing interventions for clients with mobility problems
• Priority setting for clients with mobility problems
• Interprofessional roles
• Exemplars: Prevention of lower back injuries, immobile client on bed rest.
• Cognition Concept
• Principles of cognition
• Risk factors related to cognitive alterations
• Prevention of cognitive alterations
• Cognitive diagnostic testing
• Clinical judgement related to cognitive alterations
• Exemplars: Delirium and Dementia
• Sensory Concept:
• Definitions of functional ability and activity of activities of daily living (ADLs) and IADLs (instrumental activities of daily living)
• Assessment of functional ability
• Risks for loss of functional ability
• Role of nursing in the preservation and restoration of ADLs (activities of daily living)
• Sensory perception principles
• Prevention of sensory alterations
• Sensory diagnostic testing
• Clinical judgement related to sensory alterations
• Pharmacology: Prostaglandin analogs (latanoprost), Alpha Adrenergic agonists (apraclonidine), Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (acetazolamide), Topical anesthetic agents, Cholinergic (pilocarpine), Beta-blockers (timolol maleate)
• Exemplars: blindness, glaucoma, hearing loss
• Tissue Integrity Concept:
• Principles of tissue integrity
• Risk factors for impaired skin integrity
• Prevention strategies
• Application of clinical judgment in the care of the client with altered tissue integrity
• Pharmacology: Topicals: Hibiclens, AG impregnated products, Bacitracin, Mupirocin, Polymyxin B, Neomycin, Gentamicin, Medical Honey
• Exemplars: Pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, cellulitis (across the lifespan)
• Gas Exchange Concept:
• Principles of gas exchange
• Risk factors for altered gas exchange
• Prevention strategies
• Application of clinical judgment in the care of the client with alterations in gas exchange
• Pharmacology: Oxygen
• Exemplars: post-surgical atelectasis, viral/bacterial bronchitis
• Elimination Concept:
• Principles of elimination
• Risk factors for impaired elimination
• Prevention strategies
• Application of clinical judgment in the care of the client with altered elimination
• Pharmacology: Constipation: Laxatives, Bulk forming agents, Stool softeners, Osmotic laxatives; Incontinence: Anticholinergic, Antispasmodic; Diarrhea: Bismuth absorbent, Probiotics, Antimotility, Opioid-like, Antispasmodic; BPH: Alpha-Blocker;
• Exemplars: incontinence: bladder & bowel, benign prostatic hypertrophy: urinary retention, constipation/diarrhea
• Nutrition Concept:
• Principles of nutrition
• Risk factors for alterations in nutrition
• Prevention strategies
• Application of clinical judgment in the care of the client with alterations in nutrition
• Nutrition and diet therapy
• Surgical interventions for obesity
• Pharmacology: Multivitamin, Collagen, Protein, Fat- and Water-Soluble Vitamins, TPN, PPN
• Exemplars: obesity across the lifespan, malnutrition across the lifespan
• Comfort/Rest Concept:
• Principles of comfort and rest
• Assessment and management of pain
• Sleep and rest
• Pharmacology: Sleep: Benzodiazepines and considerations for reversal, sedative/hypnotics (Zolpidem), Melatonin; Pain: Opioid and considerations for reversal, Aspirin, Acetaminophen and reversal agents, Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Cox 2 Inhibitors
• Exemplars: Chronic pain, Acute pain, insomnia, sleep apnea
• Pharmacology Principles:
• General principles
• Legal, ethical and safety concerns with medication administration
• Factors that impact drug therapy
• Pharmacology: Lifespan dosage, Drug terminology, Kinetics, Legal/Ethical, Herbal, Teratogenic
• Exemplars: pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacodynamics