NURS 3211 - Clinical Skills Foundation
Hours: 2
This skills laboratory/ clinical experience course provides an introduction to foundational skills for nursing practice. Standards for quality and safety in nursing practice guide the performance of selected nursing intervention skills. Prerequisites: Admission to Nursing Program. Nursing (BSN) Major.

NURS 3213 - Therapeutic Communication
Hours: 2
Emphasis is on caring communication as an essential dimension of professional healthcare. Theories are presented to explain the dynamic relationship between human behavior, health, illness, and culture. The impact of interpersonal relationship skills to effect positive changes in individuals and their families is also emphasized. Communication in the role of educator will be introduced as part of the teaching/learning course content Prerequisites: Admission to Nursing Program. Nursing (BSN) Major.

NURS 3232 - Professional Nursing Issues
Hours: 3
Concentrates on legal, ethical, economic and political issues affecting the nurse as an individual and a professional, and health care delivery to clients, groups and aggregates. Consideration is given to self-discovery, personal assertiveness, role conflict, negotiation and collective bargaining. Students are encouraged to apply critical thinking strategies during classroom discussions and presentations. Prerequisites: NURS 4650, NURS 4540, NURS 4342.

NURS 3310 - Professional Role Development and Practice Issues
Hours: 3
Focuses on transitioning from associate and diploma degrees to baccalaureate practice and exploration of the baccalaureate essentials as a foundation for professional practice. Roles of the nurse, historical and theoretical foundations, and nursing philosophy and standards that define professional nursing are explored.

NURS 3311 - Pathophysiology
Hours: 3
This course relates manifestations of disease, risk factors for disease, and the principles of pathology underlying illness and injury to therapeutic nursing interventions and outcomes. Prerequisites: Admission to the Nursing Program, Nursing BSN Major.

NURS 3312 - Principles of Pharmacology
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the basic drug classification, concepts and principles of pharmacology with special consideration for the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy through the use of the nursing process. Nursing implications relative to the utilization of drug therapy are examined. Dosage calculations are evaluated for competency. Prerequisites: Admission to Nursing Program, Nursing BSN Major.

NURS 3313 - Therapeutic Communication
Hours: 2
Emphasis is on caring communication as an essential dimension of professional healthcare. Theories are presented to explain the dynamic relationship between human behavior, health, illness, and culture. The impact of interpersonal relationship skills to effect positive changes in individuals and their families is also emphasized. Communication in the role of educator will be introduced as part of the teaching/learning course content. Prerequisites: Admission to Nursing Program. Nursing (BSN) Major.

NURS 3314 - Health Assessment for the RN
Hours: 3
Builds on student’s prior knowledge and skills to further develop concepts and principles underlying assessment of the health status of individuals. Emphasis is placed on interviewing skills, health histories, and the physical, psychosocial and cultural assessments across the lifespan. Prerequisites: Admission to RN to BSN program.

NURS 3332 - Professional Nursing Issues
Hours: 3
Concentrates on legal, ethical, economic and political issues affecting the nurse as an individual and a professional, and health care delivery to clients, groups and aggregates. Consideration is given to self-discovery, personal assertiveness, role conflict, negotiation and collective bargaining. Students are encouraged to apply critical thinking strategies during classroom discussions and presentations.

NURS 3414 - Health Assessment
Hours: 4
Concepts and principles underlying assessment of the health status of individuals are presented. Emphasis is placed on interviewing skills, health histories, and the physical and psychosocial findings in the well person. Development of communication and assessment skills. Students implement in the nursing process by obtaining health histories, performing physical and psychosocial assessments, establishing a database, and formulating initial nursing plans. Prerequisites: Admission to Nursing Program. Nursing (BSN) Major.

NURS 3620 - Fundamentals of Nursing Care
Hours: 6
Fundamentals of Nursing Care introduces students to the scope of human needs, utilization of the nursing process as a systematic approach to meeting those needs, and the role of the professional nurse in assisting individuals toward optimal health. Students use fundamental concepts from the applied sciences, principles of nursing, and communication skills to provide basic client care in clinical settings.

NURS 3630 - Nursing Care of Adults I
Hours: 6
Introduces the student to the use of the nursing process in the care of adults with chronic or non-complex illness. Uses a systems approach to discuss the effects of illness on individual and family, and to examine the disruption of growth and development patterns across the lifespan from young adult to senior years. The course includes clinical laboratory to allow the student the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to clinical practice in diverse adult populations.

NURS 4162 - NCLEX-RN Preparatory Course
Hours: 1
This seminar course provides the student with competencies and strategies to enhance the transition from student to baccalaureate prepared nurse. Students gain an understanding of the role of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in developing and administering the RN licensing examination.

NURS 4207 - Quality Care and Patient Safety in Professional Nursing Practice
Hours: 2
Prepares RN transition student to function as a leader of an interdisciplinary health care team to use quality improvement concepts, processes, and outcome measures within various health care settings. Emphasis will be on provision of a safe caring environment for healthcare delivery.

NURS 4240 - Older Adult Health Management
Hours: 2
Focuses on nursing interventions used to promote, maintain, and restore health in older adult clients. Provides opportunities to expand knowledge of the normal aging process; to identify variables that contribute to deviations in health; to discuss how formal and informal resources including evidence-based data contribute to older adults' health status; and to examine the implications of working collaboratively with individuals, families and communities to meet the health care needs of older adults.

NURS 4322 - Policy and Ethics in Professional Nursing Practice
Hours: 3
Focuses on policy, legal, ethical and advocacy issues encountered in health care and professional nursing practice. Emphasizes current nursing policy and nursing code of ethics, social justice and policy and ethical considerations affecting nursing.

NURS 4342 - Nursing Research
Hours: 3
Study of theory and research as a base for nursing practice. Critically analyzes published research studies with regard to implications for clinical practice. The course is planned for collaborative peer examination of the research process through critique of nursing studies. Prerequisites: Department approved statistics course; NURS 3213, NURS 3311, NURS 3312, NURS 3414, NURS 3211, or consent of instructor.

NURS 4343 - Nursing Research for the RN
Hours: 3
Study of theory and research as a base for nursing practice. Critically analyzes published research studies with regard to implications for clinical practice. The course is planned for collaborative peer examination of the research process through critique of nursing studies. Prerequisites: Statistics course.

NURS 4382 - Informatics
Hours: 3
Integrates nursing science and computer technology in order to identify, collect, process, and manage information. Emphasis is placed on health applications that support clinical, administrative, research, and educational decision making as well as enhance the efficacy of nursing process. Prerequisites: Admission to the RN-BSN program.

NURS 4384 - Nursing Genetics and Genomics
Hours: 3
Study of health promotion and maintenance for individuals and families within the context of human diversity and the implications for best practices associated with genomic information, including ethics and genetic counseling. Focuses on the genomic determinants of health.

NURS 4460 - Rural and Community Health Nursing for the RN Hours
Hours: 4
Explores rural community health nursing, focusing on historical development, philosophy, health care systems, epidemiology, and individuals, families, and specific aggregate groups. Applies theoretical and empirical knowledge in using the nursing process in rural community settings to promote, maintain, and restore health. Focuses on transcultural nursing concepts, rural, and home health care delivery. Diverse roles of the community and public health nurse are examined and a rural community assessment is completed using research and data processing skills.

NURS 4461 - Leadership in Professional Nursing for the RN
Hours: 4
Uses a systems framework and critical thinking strategies to study the coordinating role of the professional nurse within health care delivery. Current theories of management, leadership and change are examined and related to nursing practice. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing real work problems, assessing the work environment, and developing a proposed solution based on evidence.

NURS 4540 - Nursing Care of Mental Health Clients
Hours: 5
Demonstrates the relevance of psychosocial nursing concepts to all areas of professional practice. Provides a conceptual integration of the nursing process, theories, and research from psychosocial sciences and humanities as these relate to the care of persons with mental disorders. Clinical experience provides an opportunity for application of psychosocial concepts and methods in using the nursing process to promote optimal levels of wellness for individuals, families, and target groups.

NURS 4560 - Rural and Community Health Nursing
Hours: 5
Explores rural community health nursing, focusing on historical development, philosophy, health care systems, epidemiology, and individuals, families, and specific aggregate groups. Applies theoretical and empirical knowledge in using the nursing process in rural community settings to promote, maintain, and restore health. Focuses on transcultural nursing concepts, rural, and home health care delivery. Diverse roles of the community and public health nurse are examined and a rural community assessment is completed using research and data processing skills.

NURS 4561 - Leadership in Professional Nursing
Hours: 5
Uses a systems framework and critical thinking strategies to study the coordinating role of the professional nurse within health care delivery. Current theories of management, leadership and change are examined and related to nursing practice. Focuses on synthesis of this knowledge to develop innovative and creative approaches to nursing practice. Applies theoretical and empirical concepts of leadership through supervised experiences gained in local health care institutions.

NURS 4650 - Nursing Care of Adults II
Hours: 6
Presents critical thinking and problem-solving strategies for care of adults with acute or complex illness and/or injury. The effects of acute illness are examined in relation to the individual’s developmental stage, culture, and gender. Building on Nursing Care of Adults I, a systems approach is used to analyze and intervene in alterations to the health of the individual and family. The course includes clinical laboratory to allow the student the opportunity to integrate theoretical concepts and clinical practice in diverse populations.

NURS 4840 - Nursing for Childbearing & Childrearing Families
Hours: 8
Using a family centered approach, this course focuses on nursing care of mothers and children from conception to adulthood (or through adolescence). The course focuses on bio-physical factors, legal/ethical and cultural considerations, health promotion, acute and chronic health conditions and rehabilitative needs. Emphasis is on the application of the nursing process to meet developmental, physiological, psycho-social and spiritual needs in culturally appropriate ways. Clinical experiences will include in-patient and out-patient settings.

NURS 490 - H Honors Thesis
Hours: 3
Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite Consent of head. Note May be repeated when the topic varies.

NURS 491 - H Honors Reading
Hours: 3
Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite Consent of head. Note May be repeated when the topic varies.

NURS 497 - Special Topic
Hours: 0-4
Note May be repeated when the topic varies.