NURSING
Undergraduate Catalog 2008-2010 PRINT PAGE

Dr. Barbara Landrum, Chair; Ms. Loy, Ms. Shurett, Ms. Smith, Ms. Trigg

The goals of the four year (8 semester) program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree are:

1. Prepare a professional nurse generalist.
2. Educate nurses in holistic concepts of humanity, environment, and health.
3. Prepare a professional nurse who recognizes and uses resources for nursing and health care in the community.
4. Prepare professional nurses who understand the role of research and theory to improve nursing and health care.
5. Provide a foundation for advanced study of nursing.

The corresponding Student Learning Outcomes for the BSN program are:

1. Assume responsibility and accountability in the role of the professional nurse.
2. Analyze theoretical and empirical data when planning nursing care.
3. Coordinate with members of the health care team to promote and maintain conditions for optimum health.
4. Apply findings from nursing and healthcare research when planning nursing and health care.
5. Demonstrate values and ethics of professional nursing when delivering client care.

Accreditation

The Henderson State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Program Admission

Students admitted to the university declaring a major in nursing become Nursing Advisees.  Students become Nursing Students upon completing prerequisite non-nursing courses and after being admitted into the nursing program.  The admission application is available upon request, from the Department of Nursing on the nursing web page. 

Starting Fall Semester 2009, students will be admitted to the Nursing Program in Fall and Spring semesters. Students must complete all of the prerequisite science and math courses with a “C” or better and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.50 for admission consideration. Program applications are due in February for Fall semester start and September for Spring semester start. Program acceptance is competitive based on cumulative GPA and record of success in prerequisite math and science courses. Program admissions are provisional pending satisfactory completion of a criminal background check. Program admission costs are charged upon acceptance to the program to cover admission processing and criminal background checks.

Should a student be absent from the program for a semester or more, a Readmission Application must be submitted using the same schedule as for program admission. Readmission is not assured and is on a space available basis.

 Students holding licensure (LPN/LPTN or RN) in nursing may qualify for advanced placement in the BSN program.  Students holding licenses to practice nursing in Arkansas must maintain these as valid and in good standing to retain their status in nursing courses  (NSG prefix). 

Nursing Clinical Course Health and Safety Requirements

Clinical nursing courses can result in exposure to infectious illnesses, injuries, or related accidents. Because of this, students are strongly urged to maintain adequate health care coverage and disability insurance. Additionally, in order to meet clinical agency requirements, students must provide evidence of the following upon admission to the program/prior to staring clinical courses.

• Negative Tuberculin skin test or independent provider’s statement of the absence of clinical signs and symptoms of Tuberculosis in positive reactors
• 3-shot Hepatitis B series or acceptable titer
• American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Providers

Additional documentation that may be required dependent on clinical agencies include:

• Varicella immunization or record of past Chicken-pox infection
• Drug testing
  

Americans with Disabilities Act, Implications for Nursing Majors

 Students with documented disabilities who are applying for admission to Henderson and to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program will be welcome according to the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Reasonable accommodations will be made for students who have a documented disability but who have the abilities to assume the role of the professional nurse.  These abilities include verbal and written communication, critical thinking, nursing assessment of physical and psychosocial health status of clients, and performance of nursing procedures including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Students with disabilities will be evaluated on an individual basis by the faculty of the Department of Nursing as to their potential for success in a career in professional nursing after admission to the program.

Standardized Testing and the RN Licensure Exam
 
 Standardized testing constitutes a portion of all clinical specialty courses. In courses where standardized tests are administered, tests will account for 5 - 10% of the total course grade. Nursing course fees pay for standardized tests.

 All students in their last semester in the Nursing Program must take a comprehensive standardized test to determine their readiness and ability to pass the NCLEX-RN examination. Students will be accorded three chances to achieve a passing score on the comprehensive standardized tests.

• Students who fail to pass the comprehensive standardized test on first attempt may be assessed additional fees to cover tests and proctors.
• Students who fail to achieve the determined passing score for the comprehensive standardized test after three attempts must counsel with the Nursing Department Chair and develop a plan of study prior to graduation.
  

Nursing Prerequisite Courses

 In addition to the required General Education Core Courses, the following courses are required prior to admission to the Nursing Program:

CHM		1034/1014	General Chemistry and Lab	4
COM		2013	Oral Communication	3
CHM		1044	Organic & Biochemistry	4
BIO		3064	Anatomy & Physiology	4
PSY		1013	General Psychology	3
NSG		2561	Nursing as a Profession	1
BIO		2144	Physiology	4
PHI		3113	Ethics	3
SOC		1013	Introduction to Sociology	3
FCS		2013	Nutrition	3
NSG		2573	Basic Skills for Health Care Providers	3

 

 Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

NSG		3586	Basic Concepts in Nursing	6 (2 Lecture/4 Lab)
NSG		3594	Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing	4 (3 Lecture/1 Lab)
NSG		3603	Healthcare Research for Evidence Based Practice	3
NSG		3612	Nursing & healthcare Delivery Theories	2
NSG		3626	Adult Health Nursing I	6 (4 Lecture/2 Lab)
NSG		3636	Family/Child Nursing	6 (3 Lecture/3 Lab)
NSG		3643	Transcultural Healthcare	3
NSG		4656	Adult Health Nursing II	6 (3 Lecture/3 Lab)
NSG		4662	Gerontologic Nursing	2
NSG		4672	Disaster Nursing & Emergency Preparedness	2
NSG		4683	Palliative Care Nursing	3 (2 Lecture/1 Lab)
NSG		4692	Health Promotion & Wellness	2
NSG		4709	Adult Health Nursing III	9 (3 Lecture/6 Lab)
NSG		4714	Community Based Nursing	4 (3Lecture/1 Lab)
NSG		4722	Leadership Principles	2

Courses in Nursing

NSG 2561. Nursing as a Profession.  This course is designed to introduce students to the nursing profession. Components addressed will include the evolution of the nursing profession, the image of nursing, the education and socialization of nursing, cultural competency and social issues of the nurse, nurse practice roles, and legal, ethical and health policy issues.

NSG 2573/NSG 2573L. Basic Skills for Healthcare Providers.  This course provides an introduction to the basic skills of nursing. Emphasis will be placed on foundational care provided to adults. Course structure includes 1 credit lecture and 2 credits skills lab. This course will be offered May Interim. (Students with a Certified Nursing Assistant License may exempt this course.)

NSG 3586/NSG 3586L. Basic Concepts in Nursing.  This course focuses on basic concepts and skills that form the foundation of nursing practice in the following areas: health, wellness-illness, safety, communication, patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidenced based practice, and quality improvement. Students will embark on the skill of critical thinking, gain knowledge of and implement the use of the nursing process, study therapeutic communication techniques and principals of teaching-learning styles to establish and facilitate nurse client/family relationships in developing and providing a basic plan of care. Course structure includes 2 credits lecture and 4 credits clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 3594/NSG 3594L. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.  This course focuses on the basic psychopathology of mental disorders, therapeutic communication, and legal/ethical guidelines. Emphasis will be placed on individuals, families, or groups experiencing maladaptive alterations in mental health. Course structure includes 3 credits lecture and 1 credit clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 3603. (WI) Healthcare Research for Evidence Based Practice.  This course provides students with opportunities to acquire basic healthcare research skills necessary for evaluation of research. Students use critical thinking to explore the scientific methods of inquiry, research design and methodology, and ethical consideration in human subject investigation. Research critique and evaluation will be introduced as a foundation for evidence-based practice.

NSG 3612.  Nursing and Healthcare Delivery Theories.  This course introduces philosophies and theories of nursing, healthcare, and related fields as a foundation to the practice of professional nursing. Concepts of person, health, and environment will be explored within the four functions of theory (description, explanation, prediction, and control). Students will examine different perspectives of knowing and reflect how these impact their future healthcare practice.

NSG 3626/NSG 3626L. Adult Health I.  This course provides the opportunity to examine and practice concepts, research, issues and trends in caring for adults with basic and commonly concurring health care needs. Content includes internal and external environmental factors affecting the health of adults with basic and commonly occurring health care needs. Emphasis is on the role of the professional nurse in health promotion and maintenance, illness care, and rehabilitation adults. Course structure includes 4 credits lecture and 2 credits clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 3636/NSG 3636L. Family/Child Nursing.  This course presents basic nursing theory of childbearing family and pediatric health care. Unfolding case studies, lecture, evidence based guidelines, clinical simulation and clinical experiences are used to guide the student from the preconceptional period through adolescence. Course structure includes 3 credits lecture and 3 credits clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 3643. Transcultural Healthcare.  Emphasizing non-Western cultures, this course assists student exploration and analysis of the influence of culture on health beliefs, attitudes, values, health norms, and practices. Examines how providers from various cultures differ in their approach to healthcare and how assessment and intervention techniques apply to specific cultural groups. Meets the university requirement of a Non-Western Cultures course.

NSG 4656/NSG 4656L. Adult Health II.  This course provides the opportunity to examine and practice concepts, research, issues and trends in caring for adults with complex health care needs. Emphasis is on the role of the professional nurse in the use of the nursing process with adults experiencing complex health care needs and their families. Course structure includes 3 credits lecture and 3 credits clinical lab. Prerequisite: NSG 3626 Adult Health I.

NSG 4662.  Gerontologic Nursing.  This course provides the foundational theoretical basis for the professional nursing care of older adults and their families. Gerontologic Nursing introduces trends, theories and multi-dimensional changes of aging; and, addresses issues related to wellness, health promotion and disease prevention in older adults as well as nursing responses to clients experiencing acute and chronic health problems in a variety of settings. 

NSG 4672.  Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness.  This course introduces nursing roles in the planning for and participation in mass casualty disasters. The causes and unique characteristics of disasters and their effects on communities will be presented. The nurses' participation in the multidisciplinary organizational and clinical management of disaster will be emphasized.

NSG 4683/NSG 4683L.  Palliative Care Nursing.  This course provides the foundational theoretical basis for the professional nursing chronic and end-of-life care of clients of all ages and their families.  Palliative Care Nursing introduces trends in end-of-life care, and addresses issues related to quality of life, pain and non-pain symptom management, cultural-sensitivity, and grief support of clients approaching end of life and their families in a variety of settings. Course structure includes 2 credits lecture and 1 credit clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 4692.  Health Promotion and Wellness.  Explores nursing health promotion strategies to facilitate individual, group, and community health and wellness across the lifespan. The development of disease states and methods to prevent or decrease risk factors will be discussed. Emphasis is on the role of the professional nurse in planning and implementing effective teaching and interventional behaviors. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 4709/NSG 4709L.  Adult Health III.  This course provides the opportunity to examine and practice concepts, research, issues and trends in caring for adults with complex, multisystem healthcare needs in structured and unstructured settings. Content includes managing nurse resources, delegation, patient progress through the continuum of care, and skills practice at a competency level necessary to assume beginning level as a professional nurse. Course structure includes 3 credits lecture and 6 credits clinical lab. Prerequisite: NSG 4656 Adult Health II.

NSG 4714/NSG 4714L. Community Based Nursing. This course introduces students to the basic concepts of community based nursing.  Students gain an understanding of community resources with an emphasis on community based settings, disease states, community health models and theories, barriers to healthcare services, and the needs of vulnerable populations. Course structure includes 3 credits lecture and 1 credit clinical lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.

NSG 4722. (WI) Leadership Principles.  This course presents basic leadership theory and skills for novice to advanced beginner healthcare providers.  Evidence based best practices coupled with systems thinking form a foundation for the concepts of change, transformation, risk taking, and vision as they relate to the leadership role.