I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Professional Nursing Fundamentals Lab

2. Course Prefix & Number:
NURS 1541

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Credits - Variable: 0

Lecture Hours: 0

Lab Hours: 4

4. Course Description:

This course is designed to allow for the application of concepts learned in the Fundamentals Course. Fundamental RN skills will be taught and evaluated in a realistic, simulated learning environment with an emphasis on the application of the nursing process and use of evidenced-based practices that promote client safety and quality in the performance of nursing psychomotor skills. The goal is to provide exposure to situations that will promote confidence and the ability to provide safe, quality, client-centered care in the clinical setting as the student begins their journey in the RN role. This course focuses on hands on application of nursing clinical reasoning and nursing psychomotor skills.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

7. Other Prerequisites
Admission to Nursing Program and Proof of successful completion of CLC’s NSGA 1110 Nursing Assistant course OR another MN Department of Health approved nursing assistant course, taken within the last five years. If no proof of course, but you can provide proof that you are currently on the State of Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry, the class requirement can be waived.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Nursing - Associate in Science Degree

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Demonstrate beginner level client-centeredness and caring behaviors in the utilization of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that promote safety.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Demonstrate beginner level theoretical and research-based knowledge and science in the performance of professional nursing skills in a simulated health care setting.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Demonstrate beginner level knowledge of cultural diversity in the performance of holistic health assessment and client education across the lifespan in a simulated health care setting.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate basic nursing skills using proper techniques and measures that ensure client safety;
• Demonstrate a holistic health assessment and client education across the lifespan in a simulated healthcare setting;
• Role-play effective communication techniques that demonstrate caring behavior and promote client safety, teamwork, and collaboration in the simulated healthcare setting;
• Apply the nursing process in the demonstration and documentation of professional nursing skills in simulated client scenarios.;
• Discuss concepts of quality and safety when using technology in the performance of professional nursing skills in a simulated healthcare setting;
• Demonstrate safety and infection control concepts that protect clients and healthcare personnel from health and environmental hazards in a simulated healthcare setting;
• Demonstrate professionalism in a simulated healthcare setting; and
• Apply evidence based research in the performance of nursing skills in a simulated healthcare setting.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

1. Nursing Introduction
• Identify and explain the roles of the professional nurse such as care provider, supervisor of nursing care, educator, communicator, mentor, role model. Change agent and researcher
2.  Promoting Medical Asepsis
• Identify and demonstrate nursing techniques in providing client dignity, respect, safety, and preventing the transmission of infections
• Identify and demonstrate transmission based precautions
3. Body Mechanics
• Identify and demonstrate proper body mechanics for client and self during the provision of nursing care
4. Universal Care Steps
• Identify and demonstrate universal steps before and after nursing care (KWIPES)
5. Facilitating Hygiene
• Identify and demonstrate techniques the professional nurse uses in assessing, promoting independence, and self-esteem, while providing client hygiene needs and care
• Identify how personal hygiene relates to health and well-being
6. Nursing Process
• Identify, describe, and demonstrate delegation of nursing care
• Identify, describe, and demonstrate provision of nursing care to diverse population of clients and their families
• Describe and practice assessing client needs, identify nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, identifying nursing care interventions
7. Therapeutic Communication
• Identify, describe and demonstrate effective therapeutic communication skills
• Identify and demonstrate teaching to meet the individualized unique needs of clients and families the professional nurse encounters
8. Skin Integrity and Wound Healing
• Identify and demonstrate professional nursing assessment of wounds and skin integrity with dressing changes
• Identify and demonstrate theoretical knowledge related to infection control concepts related to wound care and dressing change
• Use the Braden scale to assess risk for pressure ulcers
• Describe and practice assessing client integumentary needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
9. Physical Activity and Mobility
• Identify, describe, and demonstrate provision of nursing care related to physical mobility for a diverse population of clients
• Describe and practice assessing client physical mobility needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care intervention
10. Oxygenation
• Identify and demonstrate nursing actions providing support for client with respiratory alterations
• Demonstrate skills during the practice of airway suctioning, artificial airways, and chest tubes
• Practice lung sounds assessments and client teaching of cough and deep breathing
• Describe and practice assessing client respiratory needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
11. Measuring Vital Signs
• Demonstrate vital sign measurement and discuss vital sign patterns
• Develop skills during the practice of heart sounds, apical and peripheral pulses
• Describe and practice assessing client vital signs, identifying client problems, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
12. Circulation
• Practice the application of elastic compression hose and alternating compression appliances for the lower extremities
• Describe and practice assessing client circulatory needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
13. Sensation, Perception and Cognition
• Practice assessment using a neurological assessment tool
• Practice assessment using the Glasgow Coma Scale
• Experience the hazards of sensory deficits in vision, hearing, touch and proprioception.
• Describe and practice assessing client sensory needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
14. Urinary Elimination
• Describe the normal structure and function of the organs of the urinary system
• Describe the processes of urine formation and elimination
• Discuss factors that affect urinary elimination
• Describe diagnostic tests used in the identification or urinary elimination problems
• Discuss common elimination problems: urinary tract infection, urinary retention, and urinary incontinence
• Discuss nursing care appropriate for clients who have a urinary diversion
• Describe and practice assessing client urinary elimination needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
15. Documentation
• Explain the purposes of documentation
• Compare and contrast the differences between electronic and written documentation
• Identify a variety of charting formats and their purpose
• Describe guidelines for written and electronic documentation in the clinical setting
• Identify approved abbreviations to use in charting
• Discuss the key elements of giving an oral client report
• Discuss the process for verifying or questioning a medical order
16. Bowel Elimination
• Identify the basic structures and functions of the gastrointestinal system
• Discuss factors that affect bowel elimination
• Differentiate among the various types of bowel diversions
• Discuss common bowel elimination problems
• Describe diagnostic tests used to identify bowel elimination problems
• Describe and practice assessing client bowel elimination needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
17. Nutrition
• Calculate the body mass index
• Differentiate among the various sources of nutritional information
• Demonstrate the provision of enteral nutrition 
• Describe techniques for assisting clients with meals
• Identify and practice nursing interventions for clients with special needs: Impaired Swallowing, NOP, older adults and nausea
18. Physical Examination
• Identify the purposes and components of a physical examination
• Demonstrate the skills used in a physical examination
• Explained adaptations that may be required when you examine clients of various ages
• Discuss the expected findings of a physical examination
• Perform a brief bedside physical examination
19. Pain
• Define and classify pain
• Discuss pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain relief measures
• Describe and practice assessing client pain needs, identifying nursing diagnosis, identifying client goals and outcomes, and identifying nursing care interventions
20. Medication Administration Basics
• Discuss nursing judgment, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills concerning medication administration. 
• Discuss how to administer medications safely
• Identify and practice use of abbreviations in medication documentation
• Demonstrate the administration of medication safely and effectively, including procedures for calculating and measuring dosages and administering medications by a variety of routes
• Discuss controlled medication procedures
• Discuss and practice using nursing drug guide books and databases
• Discuss and practice medication administration documentation 
• Discuss and practice medication error identification and reporting
• Discuss and demonstrate standard precautions, hand hygiene, client safety, client privacy, body mechanics and documentation related to a variety of routes of medication administration
• Identify and discuss the six rights of safe medication administration
• Identify and demonstrate administration of parenteral medications safely