Course Descriptions
NURS 3210 Transitions to the BSN Role
Educational and role development opportunities for nurses will be examined. This course
focuses on the baccalaureate-prepared nursing role with emphasis on the following
topics: Nursing Theory, Professional Foundations of Practice, Critical Abilities of
the Baccalaureate Nurse, Quality and Safety for Individuals, Families, Aggregates
and Society, and selected Professional Nursing Concepts. The roles of the baccalaureate-prepared
nurses and standards that define professionalism are explored. Prerequisite: Admission
to the RN-to-BSN program. 2 credit hours.
NURS 3220 Health Promotion Across Lifespan
The role of the nurse in promoting health and reducing risk behaviors of individuals
and families across the lifespan is the focus of this course. Exemplars of nutrition,
physical activity and stress management will be examined with an emphasis on the impact
of genetics, values, lifestyle, and cultural influences. Client teaching as an essential
function of the nurse is emphasized. In the clinical practicum, the student will facilitate
his/ her understanding of factors that enhance health promotion and risk reduction
through the development of a long-term relationship with a client and family. Prerequisite:
Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 2 credit hours.
NURS 3330 Ethics in Health Care
This course builds on the ethical and legal foundations for professional nursing practice
and health care services. Ethical, legal, and moral/social principles along with the
ANA Code for Nurses are applied to selected common and complex health care related
situations. The role of ethics in the development of professionalism and professional
values is explored. Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 3 credit hours.
NURS 3340 Population-focused Community Health I / Clinical
Introduces the concept of the community of persons/patients, families, and populations
as the adult and geriatric patient in the healthcare system and the roles of the nurse
in community services. Nurse roles include public policy, provision of primary care,
prevention of disease or health risk, education and health promotion, and restoration.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 3 credit hours.
NURS 3450 Advanced Health Assessment / Clinical
An in-depth coverage of a comprehensive health assessment with an emphasis on health
promotion and how this concept is applied within nursing practice. This course focuses
on the techniques of data collection and physical assessment and applying these across
the lifespan and in a variety of diverse population groups and populations. This course
lends itself to a concept-based approach. Clinical/Lab required. Prerequisite: Admission
to the RN-to-BSN program. 4 credit hours.
NURS 4115 Healthcare Organization
This course explores the U.S. health care delivery organizations and payment systems.
Perspectives of providers, institutions, insurers, and health care workers are described.
The role of information in the continuity of care among institutions and inter-disciplinary
care teams is articulated. The electronic information infrastructure is examined with
implications for nursing practice. Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program.
1 credit hour.
NURS 4225 Nursing Informatics
This course explores evidence-based research and practice through health care informatics.
Includes informatics theories, networks, skills, technology, system implementation,
and management of data bases. The role of information in the continuity of care among
institutions and inter-disciplinary care teams is articulated. The electronic information
infrastructure, including telehealth and individually-customized health care, is examined
with implications for nursing practice. Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program.
2 credit hours.
NURS 4235 Health Care Quality
Provides a multidisciplinary background in the science of healthcare quality management.
Students will learn to develop and plan for execution of quality improvement plans,
using a quality indicator assessment program, as the framework to develop a paper
that identifies quality indicators, their measurements and nursing interventions to
improve the quality measurement. Valued-based purchasing will be defined and interventions
to assure quality and cost containment will be discussed. Prerequisite: Admission
to the RN-to-BSN program. 2 credit hours.
NURS 4345 Population-focused Community Health II / Clinical
Introduces the concept of the community of persons/patients, families, and populations
as the maternal and pediatric patient in the healthcare system and the roles of the
nurse in community services. Nurse roles include public policy, provision of primary
care, prevention of disease or health risk, education and health promotion, and restoration.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 3 credit hours.
NURS 4355 Research and Evidence-Based Practice
This course provides a beginning foundation for the use of research in practice through
a synthesis of introductory research knowledge with emphasis on writing, and scholarly
exchange. The knowledge gained in this course prepares the student to understand the
language of research and the scientific process. This course will prepare the student
to understand the steps of the evidenced-based practice process and identify various
EBP models to translate evidence into practice. The topics of articulating the clinical
questions, using electronic databases to locate evidence, evaluating levels of evidence,
and critically appraising the evidence to translate into the best evidence will be
explored. Ethical issues in research and evidence-based practice will be discussed.
The course focuses on enhancing the student's ability to read, comprehend, critically
appraise, and apply the best evidence to the professional practice of nursing. Prerequisite:
Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 3 credit hours.
NURS 4465 Leadership and Management / Clinical
This course emphasizes leadership and management theories in communication and conflict
resolution, budgeting, human resource management, quality and safety, risk management,
change, delegation, decision making, and current issues and trends. Clinical experiences
focus on management of issues and interactive observation of leaders and managers
in a variety of settings. Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN program. 4 credit
hours.