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.

For basic students only.  (NUR 213 and NUR 213L must be taken concurrently).  This course gives students the cognitive knowledge necessary to provide basic, safe, and effective care to diverse populations.

For basic students only.  This course provides the 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 lab and interactive computer activities, simulation experiences, and supervised clinical learning at selected health care facilities.

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.

For basic students only.  In this course, knowledge from the physical, biological, behavioral and social sciences as well as the humanities, is applied for the provision of safe nursing care of child-bearing families.  In a classroom setting, methodologies including case studies and interactive activities form the basis for the student to use the nursing process as a framework for addressing developmental change, illness prevention, health promotion, maintenance and restoration in child-bearing families.  Particular emphasis will be placed on the prenatal, intrapartum and postnatal period. 

For basic students only. The course provides students the opportunity to apply the concepts associated with responses of families during the childbearing cycle through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of childbearing patient care settings.

For basic students only. This course presents the essential concepts, theories and developmental processes vital in understanding the health concerns and problems of children, adolescents and their families. Students examine family-centered nursing care in the health promotion and health maintenance of infants, children and adolescents.

For basic students only. This course provides students the opportunity to apply the essential concepts, theories and processes useful in meeting the health and developmental needs of children and their families. Learning experiences are provided to emphasize the role of the nurse and continuity of care in meeting the needs of children and families in acute care and community settings.

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.

Subtitle: Health Promotion through the Arts. This course examines creativity through a variety of expressive art forms to promote healing for clients and to heal the healer, an imperative for holistic nurses. Various art forms are explored, including visual arts, mask-making, visual and written journals, storytelling, movement and others. Students experience expressive arts through guided exercises and art practices.

For basic students only. This course provides information on the fundamentals of nutrition and application. Nutritional needs across the lifespan and nutritional support in selected disorders are specifically discussed.

For basic students only. This course examines the biological, environmental, cultural and interpersonal factors that predispose individuals to mental illness. Mental health is viewed as the continuous adaptation to the inevitable stressors of life, and deviations are a result of the inability of individuals to adapt to life's stressors. Individuals are viewed holistically across the lifespan.

For basic students only. The course provides students the opportunity to apply the concepts of mental health nursing through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of settings in which patients and families with acute and chronic mental health problems may be found.

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

For basic students only. The course provides the opportunity for students to apply advanced concepts and processes required to help adults with complex multi-system problems. Students examine adults from physical, social, psychological and developmental perspectives through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of acute care settings.

For basic students, pre-MSN students, or with instructor approval. This course examines key concepts in leadership and management within the health care system. Emphasis is on organizing and delivering health care, assessing financial resources, planning, managing human resources, improving quality and promoting positive change.

For basic students and pre-MSN students. This course focuses on the community health system by examining it from historical, organizational and political perspectives. Emphases are on analysis of epidemiological trends and the relevance of community assessment to community health nursing practice. The impact of local, state and federal legislation is explored related to the impact on community health.

For basic students only. The course provides the opportunity to synthesize and apply cognitive knowledge of community health nursing. Through supervised clinical practice, students provide culturally competent care to individuals, families and groups in a variety of community agencies. This course includes 4 hours of clinical per week plus a class seminar. For those students enrolled in the travel section of NUR 422L, 40-60 clinical hours will be gained through education abroad; the additional requisite hours will be completed in a local community setting plus a class seminar.

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 and pre-MSN students.  Students will learn about discipline-specific writing and research processes for nursing studies and engage nursing research through formal and informal writing work.

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 basic students only. This course focuses on the integration, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge acquired throughout the nursing curriculum. The student utilizes knowledge from the physical, biological and behavioral sciences to provide safe, high quality, culturally competent nursing care. Critical thinking skills are further developed. The student incorporates principles of teaching and learning to promote, maintain and restore health.

For basic students only. This seminar course addresses professional role transition and assists the student in preparing for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

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 writing and communication skills for nursing professionals. Students will learn APA style and how to apply these rules in writing and communication in developing evidence-based practice (EBP) manuscripts and scholarly nursing presentations. Students will practice proper techniques for properly citing sources, preparing an EBP manuscript, developing PICOT statement and expressing material clearly and accurately. Must be taken in first academic term.

For graduate students only.  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.

For graduate students only. This course builds on the competencies acquired in a baccalaureate nursing assessment course. Emphasis is placed on advanced practice assessment skills including: clinical reasoning and advanced physical assessment; analysis and synthesis of assessment data; demonstration of competency in oral and written presentation of comprehensive and focused assessment findings for clients across the life span. An evidence-based practice framework will be utilized.

For graduate students only. Emphasizes knowledge development in nursing science through concurrent inductive analysis of models/methods of theory generation and deductive analysis of models/methods of theory validation through focus on quantitative and qualitative research processes. Provides opportunity for development of a theory linked research proposal that will support evidence-based advanced practice.

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.  

For graduate students only. This course emphasizes the clinical application of the major classifications of drugs and the development of knowledge needed by the advanced practice nurse to assure that drug therapy is based on sound therapeutic judgments and decision-making processes. A lifespan approach is utilized to address client needs of drug therapy in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings. Statutory authority for prescription writing protocols is examined.

For graduate students only.   This course provides the opportunity for the advanced practice nurse to understand and integrate health promotion and disease prevention concepts in a patient centered, culturally appropriate way.  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 adults 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 the older adult in primary care settings. Students may enroll in no more than one practicum courses 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.

This course emphasizes primary care management of common acute and chronic health problems of infants, children and adolescents.

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.