Nursing

NA101 9 credits

Nursing Assistant

Covers basic patient care, nutrition, safety, legal/ethical issues, physical and mental disease processes, vital signs, life span issues, interpersonal skills, and infection control in classroom, skills lab, and clinical experiences. Meets the educational requirements to take the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) certification exam. Students will be required to submit (at their own expense) a criminal history background check. Information regarding disqualifying crimes is available in the Nursing Department office. Information is also available regarding Academic and Technical Standards (Essential Functions) that must be demonstrated to complete the course. Course is graded on a pass/no pass basis only. Students must attend all class and clinical hours to meet OSBN requirements. Prerequisites: MTH20, RD30, WR20 or designated placement test score on current indicator chart. Corequisite: Current CPR certification must be obtained before clinical component of course.

NA110 1 credit

Scope of Practice and Safety Considerations

Covers the review and remediation of safety concepts, nursing skills, and knowledge needed to care for individuals across the life span. Course content is structured for individual students per instructor review and evaluation of performance. Course is graded on a pass/no pass basis. Prerequisite: Admission to the Practical Nursing or Nursing programs.

NRS110 9 credits

Foundations of Nursing–Health Promotion

Introduces the learner to the framework of the RCC and Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE) curriculum with its focus on 10 competencies. Emphasis is on health promotion across the life span including self health as well as client health practices. To support self and client health practices, students learn to access research evidence about healthy lifestyle patterns and risk factors for disease/illness, apply growth and development theory, interview clients in a culturally sensitive manner, work as members of a multidisciplinary team, giving and receiving feedback about performance, and use reflective thinking about their practices as nursing students. The family experiencing a normal pregnancy is a major exemplar. Includes classroom, lab and clinical learning experiences in a variety of community settings and in long-term care and hospital facilities.

NRS111 6 credits

Foundations of Nursing in Chronic Illness I

Introduces assessment and common interventions (including technical procedures) for clients with chronic illnesses common across the life span in major ethnic groups within Oregon. The client and family’s “lived experience” of the illness, coupled with clinical practice guidelines and extant research evidence is used to guide clinical judgments in care to the chronically ill. Roles of a multidisciplinary team in care of individuals with chronic illnesses and legal aspects of delegation are explored. Through case scenarios, cultural, ethical, health policy, and health care delivery system issues are explored in the context of chronic illness care. Case exemplars include children with asthma, adolescent with a mood disorder (depression), diabetes mellitus (Type 2), and older adults with dementia. Includes classroom, lab and clinical learning experiences. Offered concurrently with NRS231 and NRS233. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS112, NRS230, NRS232.

NRS112 6 credits

Foundations of Nursing in Acute Care I

Introduces learners to assessment and common interventions (including relevant technical procedures) for care of patients across the life span who require acute care including normal childbirth. Disease/illness trajectories and their translations into clinical practice guidelines and/or standard procedures are considered in relation to their impact on providing culturally sensitive, client-centered care. Includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Offered concurrently with NRS230 and NRS232. Prerequisite: NRS110.

NRS221 9 credits

Nursing in Chronic Illness II and End of Life

Builds on NRS111. The evidence base related to family care giving and symptom management is a major focus and basis for nursing interventions with patients and families. Ethical issues related to advocacy, self-determination, and autonomy are further explored. Complex skills associated with symptom management, negotiating in interdisciplinary teams, and the impact of cultural beliefs are included in the context of client and family-centered care. Exemplars include patients with chronic mental illness and well as other chronic conditions and disabilities affecting functional status and family relationships. Includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS111, NRS112, NRS230, NRS231, NRS232, NRS233, NRS222.

NRS222 9 credits

Nursing in Acute Care II

Builds on NRS112 focusing on more complex and/or unstable patient care situations, some of which require strong recognitional skills, rapid decision making, and some of which may result in death. The evidence base supporting appropriate focused assessments and effective, efficient nursing interventions is explored. Life span and developmental factors, cultural variables, and legal aspects of care frame the ethical decision-making employed in patient choices for treatment or palliative care within the acute care setting. Case scenarios incorporate prioritizing care needs, delegation and supervision, family and patient teaching for discharge planning or end-of-life care. Exemplars include pregnancy-related complications, as well as acute conditions affecting multiple body systems. Includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS111, NRS112, NRS230, NRS231, NRS232, NRS233.

NRS224 9 credits

Scope of Practice and Preceptorship

Formalizes the clinical judgments, knowledge and skills necessary in safe, registered nurse practice. The preceptorship model provides a context that allows the student to experience the nursing work world in a selected setting, balancing the demands of job and lifelong learner. Faculty/preceptor/student analysis and reflection throughout the experience provide students with evaluative criteria against which they can judge their own performance and develop a practice framework. Includes seminar, self-directed study and clinical experience. Required for AAS degree and eligibility for NCLEX-RN exam. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS111, NRS112, NRS221, NRS222, NRS230, NRS231, NRS232, NRS233.

NRS230 3 credits

Clinical Pharmacology for Nursing I

Introduces the theoretical background that enables students to provide safe and effective care related to drugs and natural products to persons throughout the lifespan. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions regarding using current, reliable sources of information, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of drug therapy, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, intervening to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects, and communicating appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy. Drugs are studied by therapeutic or pharmacological class using an organized framework with attention to physiological conditions including anxiety and depression. Pharmacological concepts covered include pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, nonopioid analgesics, antimicrobials, opioid analgesics, and cardiovascular drugs. Prerequisites: BI234 and NRS110.

NRS231 3 credits

Clinical Pharmacology for Nursing II

This sequel to NRS230 continues to provide the theoretical background that enables students to provide safe and effective care related to drugs and natural products to persons throughout the lifespan. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions regarding using current, reliable sources of information, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of drug therapy, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, intervening to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects, and communicating appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy. Addresses additional classes of drugs and related natural products and physiological conditions (e.g. postpartum depression and schizophrenia) not previously discussed. Pharmacological concepts covered include polypharmacy and lifespan considerations, and respiratory, GI, endocrine, neurological, psychotropic, immune system-related and antineoplastic drugs. Prerequisite: NRS230.

NRS232 3 credits

Pathophysiological Processes for Nursing I

Introduces pathophysiological processes that contribute to many different disease states across the lifespan and human responses to those processes. Students will learn to make selective clinical decisions regarding using current, reliable sources of pathophysiology information, selecting and interpreting focused assessments based on knowledge of pathophysiological processes, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding pathophysiological processes, and communicating with other health professionals regarding pathophysiological processes. Concepts covered include cellular level pathophysiology, inflammation and tissue healing, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, response to stressors, blood vessel and blood pressure pathophysiology, cardiac pathophysiology and oxygen transport issues. Prerequisite: BI234.

NRS233 3 credits

Pathophysiological Processes for Nursing II

This sequel to NRS232 continues to explore pathophysiological processes that contribute to disease states across the lifespan and human responses to those processes. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions regarding using current, reliable sources of pathophysiology information, selecting and interpreting focused assessments based on knowledge of pathophysiological processes, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding pathophysiological processes, and communicating with other health professionals regarding pathophysiological processes. The course addresses additional pathophysiological processes not previously discussed (i.e. respiratory, acid-base, endocrine, GI, renal and bladder, neurological, psychopathophysiology, immune and autoimmune, neoplasia, reproductive, musculoskeletal). Prerequisite: NRS232.