Nursing Art and Science: Professional Foundations

Curriculum Guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
NURS 2111
Descriptive
Nursing Art and Science: Professional Foundations
Department
Nursing
Faculty
Health Sciences
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester Length
15
Max Class Size
36
Contact Hours
4 hours/week
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning Activities

It is the intent of faculty to facilitate student learning, and promote critical inquiry, reflection and analytical reasoning through a variety of interactive learning processes such as lecture, group discussion, client-based scenarios, interactive learning situations and electronic learning models.

Course Description
In this first in a series of Nursing Art and Science courses, the following three inter-related concepts are addressed: professional nursing practice, health, and nursing practice with older adults. Students are introduced to foundational knowledge, standards and principles of nursing practice. The role of the nurse in the health care system and in promoting health and wellness, and the relationship among nursing theory, practice and research are emphasized. In addition, students are introduced to nursing practice decision making processes, critical reflection, and professional nursing practice with older adults.
Course Content

In this course, professional nursing, health and health promotion, and nursing care with older adults are the foci of discussion. Concepts and essential content that will be addressed relative to these topics are listed below. In addition, the core curriculum concepts are integrated in this course.

Professional Nursing Practice

  • Expectations, “image”
  • Role of nurses, other health care workers and professionals
  • Current trends and issues in nursing (introduction)
  • Professionalism and the role of the nurse
  • Professional Organizations
  • Code of Ethics
  • Standards of Practice
  • Professional Standards
  • Nursing Practice Standards
  • Scope of Practice Standards
  • Interprofessional collaboration

Nursing Decision Making Framework

  • Evidence- informed practice

 Legal Responsibilities

  • Legal issues
  • Client rights
  • Documentation
  • Confidentiality

Health and Health Promotion

  • Theories and models (introduction)
  • Historical approaches to health
  • Wellness and health maintenance
  • Determinants of Health
  • Choice
  • Responsibility
  • Cultural competence
  • Cultural safety
  • Cultural humility
  • Health profile, personal health and health risk
  • Personal empowerment
  • Prevention (introduction)
  • Nutrition

Older adults: Health, health challenges and transitions

  • Common and predictable health challenges and transitions associated with aging
  • People’s experiences of health, health challenges and aging
  • Beliefs and values
  • Principles guiding nursing practice with older adults
    • Growth and development considerations of the older adult
    • Theories of aging
  • Experience and interpretation of health challenges and transitions (e.g. loss, courage, resilience, independence/dependence)
  • Vulnerability (e.g. isolation, loss, stress, potential for abuse)

 Nursing Care

  • Holistic older adult assessment
  • The frail older adult
  • Provision of supportive care
  • Supportive end of life care
  • Planning
  • Decision-making
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, successful students  will be able to:

  • Demonstrate beginning level knowledge about the role of nurses, the nursing profession, and the professional standards and principles of nursing in the context of contemporary nursing practice.
  • Expand their personal perspective of health and identify factors that contribute to healthy living and health promotion.
  • Recognize peoples’ experiences of health and health challenges as unique and influenced by personal meaning.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of common and predictable health challenges and health transitions of the older adult.
  • Integrate knowledge in planning client-centered and evidence-informed  nursing care with older adults whose health and quality of life have been disrupted.
  • Critically reflect on the inter-relationship among theories, concepts, evidence and competencies in the application of nursing knowledge.
Means of Assessment

The course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Evaluation Policy.  A course evaluation schedule and other course evaluation information are provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester.  This is a graded course. 

Textbook Materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline for students at the beginning of each semester.

Prerequisites

Students in the BSN program are required to maintain a passing grade of 65% (C+) in all courses in order to progress in the program.

Corequisites
Which Prerequisite