NRS-Nursing

Career and Technical Courses

NRS110 (4 credits)
Foundations of Nursing - Health Promotion

This course introduces the learner to framework of the OCNE curriculum. The emphasis on health promotion across the life span includes learning about 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 practice as nursing students. Populations studied in the course include children, adults, older adults and the family experiencing a normal pregnancy. This course includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. The clinical portion of the course includes practice with therapeutic communication skills and selected core nursing skills identified in the OCNE Core Nursing Skills document. Prerequisites: Completion of all prerequisite/preparatory courses (minimum of 45 credits) and formal acceptance into the RCC AAS nursing program. Corequisite: NRS110C.

NRS110C (5 credits)
Foundations of Nursing Health Promotion Lab/Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS110.

NRS111 (2 credits)
Foundations of Nursing in Chronic Illness I

Introduces assessment and common interventions (including technical procedures) for patients with chronic illnesses common across the life span in multiple ethnic groups. The patient and family's "lived experience" of the condition is explored. Clinical practice guidelines and research evidence are used to guide clinical judgments in care of individuals with chronic conditions. Multidisciplinary team roles and responsibilities are considered in the context of delivering safe, high quality health care to individuals with chronic conditions (includes practical and legal aspects of delegation). Cultural, ethical, legal and health care delivery issues are explored through case scenarios and clinical practice. Case exemplars include children with asthma, adolescents with a mood disorder, adults with type 2 diabetes, and older adults with dementia. The course includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS110C, Corequisites: NRS111C, NRS230, and NRS232.

NRS111C (4 credits)
Foundations of Nursing in Chronic Illness I Lab/Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS111.

NRS112 (2 credits)
Foundations of Nursing in Acute Care I

Introduces the learner 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 translation into clinical practice guidelines and/ or standard procedures are considered in relation to their impact on providing culturally sensitive, patient-centered care. Includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS110C, NRS111, NRS111C. Corequisites: NRS112C, NRS231, NRS233.

NRS112C (4 credits)
Foundations of Nursing in Acute Care I Lab/Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS112.

NRS115 (4 credits)
LPN Transition to OCNE

Introduces the learner to the framework of the RCC and Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE) curriculum including the OCNE competencies and benchmarks and the clinical judgment model. The student is introduced to the role and practice of the registered nurse. Concepts and applicability of the ANA Code of Ethics will be emphasized. Students will be introduced to evidenced based care including levels of evidence. Concepts of health promotion, chronic care and acute care as applied to nursing practice will be explored. Case studies, concept-based learning activities, and patient care activities will be used to provide students opportunities to demonstrate critical thinking in the provision of simulated and actual patient care. The course will be delivered through a variety of methods, e.g. face to face classroom and seminar, skills lab, high fidelity simulation, and hospital clinical experiences.  Participation in weekly NRS115 seminar sessions and all scheduled NRS115C clinical experiences (including required preparation for clinical care) will typically require a five day per week availability. Clinical is graded on a P/NP basis. Prerequisites: NRS230, NRS232, and full acceptance to the RCC Nursing Program. This course is only for LPNs accepted into the advanced placement process. Corequisite: NRS115C.

NRS115C (2 credits)
LPN Transition to OCNE Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS115.

NRS199 (variable credits)
Nursing: Selected Topics

Develops students’ abilities to recognize and treat the symptoms of illness and injury in classroom labs and simulated patient care scenes. Includes skills in patient assessment, basic airway management, overall assessment and patient management, medication administration, and the use of other equipment. Prerequisite: Full acceptance to the RCC Nursing Program.

NRS221 (5 credits)
Nursing in Chronic Illness II and End-0f-Life

This course builds on Foundations of Nursing in Chronic Illness I. Chronic Illness II expands the student's knowledge related to family care giving, symptom management and end of life concepts. These concepts are a major focus and basis for nursing interventions with patients and families. Ethical issues related to advocacy, self-determination, and autonomy are explored. Complex skills associated with the assessment and management of concurrent illnesses and conditions are developed within the context of patient and family preferences and needs. Skills related to enhancing communication and collaboration as a member of an inter-professional team and across health care settings are further explored. Exemplars include patients with chronic mental illness and addictions as well as other chronic conditions and disabilities affecting functional status and family relationships. The course includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS110, NRS111, NRS112, NRS230, NRS231, NRS232 and NRS233. Corequisite: NRS221C.

NRS221C (4 credits)
Nursing in Chronic Illness II and End- Of-Life Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS221.

NRS222 (5 credits)
Nursing in Acute Care II and End-of-Life

Builds on Nursing in Acute Care I focusing on more complex and/or unstable patient care conditions, some of which may result in death. These patient care conditions require strong noticing and rapid decision-making skills. Evidence base is used to support appropriate focused assessments and effective, efficient nursing interventions. 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 for disorders with an acute trajectory. Case scenarios incorporate prioritizing care needs, delegation and supervision, family and patient teaching for either discharge planning or end-of-life care. Exemplars include acute conditions affecting multiple body systems. Includes classroom and clinical learning experiences. Prerequisites: NRS221 and NRS221C. Corequisite: NRS222C.

NRS222C (4 credits)
Nursing in Acute Care II and End-of-Life Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS222.

NRS224 (2 credits)
Integrative Practicum I

This course is designed to formalize the clinical judgments, knowledge and skills necessary in safe, registered nurse practice. The faculty/clinical teaching associate/student triad model provides a context that allows the student to experience the nursing role in a selected setting, balancing the demands of professional nursing and the intentional learner. Analysis and reflection throughout the clinical experience provide the student with evaluative criteria against which they can judge their own performance and develop a practice framework. Includes seminar, self-directed study and clinical experience. Prerequisites: NRS222, NRS222C. Corequisite: NRS224C.

NRS224C (7 credits)
Integrative Practicum I Clinical

Clinical associated with NRS224.

NRS230 (3 credits)
Clinical Pharmacology 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. It includes the foundational concepts of principles of pharmacology, psychotropic drugs, neurological drugs, principles of cancer chemotherapy, and drugs for endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions in the context of nursing regarding using current, reliable sources of information, understanding of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, developmental physiologic considerations, 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. Prerequisites: BI234 and NRS110.

NRS231 (3 credits)
Clinical Pharmacology II

This sequel to NRS230 Clinical Pharmacology I continues to provide the theoretical background that enables students to provide safe and effective nursing care related to drugs and natural products to persons throughout the lifespan. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions in the context of nursing 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. The course addresses additional classes of drugs and related natural products not contained in Clinical Pharmacology I including immune related drugs, herbals, gastrointestinal drugs, antivirals, antidysrhythmics and others. Prerequisite: NRS230.

NRS232 (3 credits)
Pathophysiological Processes I

Introduces pathophysiological processes that contribute to many different disease states across the lifespan and human responses to those processes. It includes the foundational concepts of cellular adaptation, injury, and death; inflammation and tissue healing; fluid and electrolyte imbalances; and physiologic response to stressors and pain, as well as additional pathophysiological processes. Students will learn to make selective clinical decisions in the context of nursing regarding using current, reliable sources of pathophysiology information, selecting and interpreting focused nursing assessments based on knowledge of pathophysiological processes, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding pathophysiological processes, and communicating with other health professionals regarding pathophysiological processes. Prerequisites: BI234 and NRS110, or advanced placement as an LPN.

NRS233 (3 credits)
Pathophysiological Processes II

This sequel to Pathophysiological Processes I 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 in the context of nursing regarding using current, reliable sources of pathophysiology information, selecting and interpreting focused nursing 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 contained in Pathophysiological Processes I. Prerequisite: NRS232