It is the intent of faculty to facilitate student learning, and promote critical inquiry, reflection and analytical reasoning through the use of active experiential learning strategies including simulation, online learning activities, and laboratory practice.
In this course, the holistic health assessment of clients experiencing complex health challenges and/or unstable health status and a variety of increasingly complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with clients in acute medical and surgical settings are the foci for discussion. The 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.
Holistic health assessment of clients with complex health challenges and/or unstable health status with a focus on physical assessment
- Comprehensive assessment
- Focused systems assessment
- Ongoing, continuous and episodic assessment
- Deteriorating health status assessment
- Emergency assessment
- Reporting and documentating assessments and nursing care
Complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with adult clients in acute medical and surgical settings
- Diagnostic treatments and procedures
- Specimen collection
- Airway management
- Tracheostomy care
- Caring for the unconcious patient
- Chest tube care and maintenance
- Managing narcotic overdose
- Central line maintenance
- Blood transfusions
- Medication administration
- Enteral feeding and medication administration
- Complex wound care
- Managing deteriorating health status
Safety
- Review of safe work practices
- Infection transmission precautions
- Handling biohazardous materials
- CODE management
- Cultural safety
Nurse's role
- Consolidation, integration, and application of course and other nursing knowledge in simulated nursing practice experiences
Concepts relative to health assessment to be explored include:
- Purpose
- Principles
- Engaging with clients
- Planning
- Rationale
- Implementation
- Evaluation
- Preventing complications
At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for holistic, comprehensive and focused assessment of clients with complex health challenges and/or unstable health status.
- Demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for the safe implementation of a variety of increasingly complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with clients in acute medical and surgical nursing practice settings.
- Demonstrate the integration and application of course and other nursing knowledge in simulated nursing practice experiences.
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.
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:
A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester.