I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Advanced Skills for the Professional Nurse

2. Course Prefix & Number:
NURS 2542

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 1

Lecture Hours: 0

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

This course is designed to build on concepts, clinical reasoning, and skills attained in a fundamentals nursing courses or a Practical Nursing Program. Content includes application of RN roles including therapeutic communications skills, education, nursing judgment, clinical decision making, management of care, and leadership skills. Selected RN psychomotor 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 patient safety and quality in the performance of psychomotor skills. The goal is to provide exposure to actual clinical situations that will promote confidence and the ability to provide safe, quality, patient-centered care in the clinical setting as the student continues to develop and transition in the RN role. This course focuses on hands on application of clinical reasoning and psychomotor skills through quizzes, worksheets, exams, videos, audio PowerPoints, skills test-outs, and simulation.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

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 patient-centeredness and caring behaviors utilizing verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that promote quality and safety. (Peds Test-out- Sarah Lou Nelson)
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Utilize nursing judgment substantiated with evidence-based research in the application of the nursing process and performance of professional nursing skills in complex simulated patient scenarios. (Each week skills lab-skills evaluation rubrics and Dressing Change Test-out)
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Demonstrate cultural competence in the performance of holistic health assessment and client education across the lifespan in simulated health care setting (Blood Sim-Kaneisha Brown/African American)

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

• Demonstrate cultural competence in the performance of holistic health assessment and client education across the lifespan in a simulated healthcare setting;
• Demonstrate patient-centeredness and caring behaviors utilizing verbal and non-verbal therapeutic communication techniques that promote quality and safety;
• Role play effective communication techniques that promote patient quality, safety, teamwork, and collaboration in the simulated healthcare setting;
• Utilize nursing judgment substantiated with evidence-based research in the application of the nursing process and performance of professional nursing skills in complex simulated patient scenarios;
• Apply concepts of quality and safety 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; and
• Demonstrate leadership and professionalism 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. Review comprehensive, holistic health assessment; including demonstration of skill.

• Steps for a holistic health assessment.
• Safety priorities for health assessment.
• Therapeutic communication and education during a health assessment.

2. Review safe practices for medication administration, including demonstration of skill.

• Steps for oral medication administration.
• Safety priorities for oral medication administration.
• Therapeutic communication and education during oral medication administration.

3. Review safe practices for intravenous therapy, including demonstration of IV push and IVPB medication administration, and starting an IV.

• Purposes of IV therapy.
• Steps for starting an IV.
• Steps for IV push medication administration.
• Steps for IVPB medication administration.
• Safety priorities for IV start and IV medication administration.
• Therapeutic communication and education during IV start and IV medication administration.

4. Review safe practices for central line cares and central line medication administration, including demonstration of skill.

• Purposes of central line IV therapy.
• Steps for central line dressing change.
• Steps for central line medication administration and flushing.
• Safety priorities for central line cares and medication administration and flushing.
• Therapeutic communication and education during central line cares and central line medication administration and flushing.

5. Review safe practices for blood transfusions and assessment for blood transfusion reactions; including demonstration of skill.

• Purposes of blood administration.
• Types of blood products.
• Types of blood transfusion reactions.
• Steps for blood transfusion.
• Safety priorities for blood transfusion.
• Therapeutic communication and education during blood transfusion.

6. Review key concepts related to RN scope of practice, delegation, and supervision.

• RN scope of practice and Nurse Practice Act.
• Purposes of delegation and supervision.
• Steps for safe delegation and supervision.

7. Review wound care assessments, interventions, and management; including demonstration of skill.

• Assessment and documentation of wounds.
• Prevention of skin breakdown, risk factors, and treatments for wounds.
• Types of wound care products.
• Steps for wound care and dressing change.
• Safety priorities for wound care.
• Therapeutic communication and education during wound care.

8. Review tracheostomy cares and chest tube management; including demonstration of skill.

• Purposes of tracheostomy and chest tube.
• Steps for tracheostomy cares and tracheostomy suctioning.
• Steps for chest tube assessment and management.
• Safety priorities for tracheostomy cares, tracheostomy suctioning, and care of chest tube.
• Therapeutic communication and education during tracheostomy cares, tracheostomy suctioning, and care of the chest tube.

9. Review nasogastric tube function, intubation, and cares; including demonstration of skill.

• Purposes of nasogastric tube placement.
• Steps for nasogastric tube placement.
• Safety priorities for nasogastric tube placement.
• Therapeutic communication and education during nasogastric tube placement.

10. Review enteral feedings and parenteral nutrition management, including demonstration of skill.

• Purposes of enteral feedings and parenteral nutrition.
• Steps for enteral feedings.
• Steps for parenteral nutrition administration.
• Safety priorities for enteral feedings and parenteral nutrition administration.
• Therapeutic communication and education during enteral feedings and parenteral nutrition administration.