BSN: 101 Professional Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
In this course students will explore recent issues affecting the nursing profession in terms of role expansion of the nurse. Three main areas will be covered including concepts such as compassionate care, professional practice, evidence-based practice, ethical practice, effective communication, person and family centeredness, health promotion and disease prevention, quality and safety in healthcare delivery, and interprofessional practice. The second area includes nursing roles such as the role of the nurse as care provider, educator, researcher, manager, advocate, leader, monitor and auditor of quality and safe care, and policy maker. The third area focuses on the nursing process as an organizing framework for nursing practice.
BSN 201: Health Assessment Across Age groups (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course integrates a holistic person-centered approach to health assessment of various age groups. The role of the nurse as diagnostician, communicator, teacher, and collaborator is emphasized throughout the health assessment process. It focuses on the development of effective communication skills in history taking, physical assessment, and documentation. Emphasis is placed on the assessment of the physical, psychosocial, and cultural dimensions of the client. Assessment of children and older adults are discussed.
BSN 202: Evidence-Based Maternal and Child Health Nursing (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course focuses on improving patient outcomes through an evidence-based nursing practice approach to meet the needs of the childbearing family and the ill child. The role of the nurse as a care provider, advocate, health educator, and nurturer in the hospital, outpatient, and community settings is stressed. It is tailored to the needs of the learners, building on their clinical experience. The course uses the nursing process as a framework of practice. Maternal health covers holistic assessment, evidence-based intervention, and evaluation of reproductive health issues of the childbearing family from conception to the neonatal period. Pre-requisite: BSN 101, BSN 201.
BSN 203: Health and Nursing Informatics (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course explores the dynamics of combining information technology with nursing practice mainly the use of information systems to improve the quality and safety of patient care. The course content is divided into three modules: module 1 introduces participants to the role of electronic health records, mobile health, and telehealth in supporting and improving the quality of patient care; module 2 describes the use of electronic Decision Support system to enhance patient safety and evidence-based practice; and module 3 focuses on the optimal use of data, information, and knowledge to advance individual and public health.
BSN 204: Evidence-Based Adult Gerontology Health Nursing (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course focuses on the holistic nursing care of adult and older adult clients experiencing medical and surgical problems. Knowledge and skills from previous and current nursing courses and concepts from basic sciences and humanities establish the foundation for this course. The nursing process will provide the framework for planning and implementing client-centered care in this course. Emphasis is on application of evidence-based practice as professional nurses in caring for adult and older adult clients and their families in various health care settings. Pre-requisite: BSN 101, BSN 201.
BSN 205: Research in Nursing (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
The Nursing Research course is an introduction to the research process. The course covers both quantitative and qualitative research methods, various research designs, sampling methods, data collection methods, analysis and interpretation of results. There will be emphasis on the critical evaluation of research articles, and the utilization of research findings to promote evidence-based Nursing practice. Research proposal development/scientific writing will be covered in the course. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 210: Community Health Nursing, Public & Population Health (6 credits)
Catalog Course Description
Community Health Nursing (CHN) course builds upon the community and public health nursing science, humanities and social sciences to empower nursing students comprehend the role of the community health nurse working directly with individuals, families and groups in the delivery of evidence-based care in community health services. CHN responsibilities include working directly with individuals, families and small groups to promote, preserve and maintain health anywhere on the health illness continuum at all stages of the life cycle. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 211: Mental Health Nursing (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course is designed to advance learners’ understanding regarding concepts on common mental health disorders. Psychosocial concepts, cultural, ethical and legal influences will be discussed in depth. The biopsychosocial assessment skills of the individual client will be explored as well. The role of the nurse during the client’s recovery and the skills necessary to conduct a comprehensive mental health assessment are of particular emphasis in this course. The case study approach will be used to facilitate linkage of theoretical concepts to practice. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 212: Care of Patients and Families with Complex Health Problems (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course introduces concepts and issues related to the diagnosis and management of patients with critical illness. The course content is organized around the nursing process framework and the bio-psychosocial dimensions of human beings. Areas of emphasis include ethical and psychosocial issues related to critical illness; advanced assessment in critical illness; management of critically ill adults with cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, metabolic, and renal problems, as well as emergency nursing care. The course has two components: theory and clinical. Pre-requisite: BSN 202, BSN 204.
BSN 221: Leading and Managing Nursing and Healthcare Services (6 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course introduces the students to the managerial functions and the leadership skills needed to provide high quality nursing care in various healthcare settings. It includes a theory component and clinical assignments. The theory part comprises four modules: module 1 presents the historical evolution of management and leadership theories and how did we arrive at what we understand about leadership and management today; module 2 introduces the scientific approaches to planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling client care; module 3 describes the behavioral approaches to effective communication, problem solving, change management, staff motivation, and creating a safe work environment; and module 4 focuses on the use of international patient safety goals to enhance patient safety in hospitals and community centers. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 270-279 course series on Nursing Enhancement in Special Topics – several 3-credit courses
The nursing enhancement courses are designed to practice nursing skills and apply the nursing process with special population such as older adults and patients with special needs. During this course, students will build on their work experience and on the information gained in first and second semesters of the nursing program.
BSN 270: Nursing Enhancement in Special Topics: Quality and Patient Safety (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course introduces the fundamentals of quality nursing care and patient safety. Students will learn evidence-based processes and strategies consistent with a culture of patient safety and improvement of nursing care quality. The course emphasizes the role of the BSN nurse in the quality improvement process, basic knowledge of nursing quality indicators, and patient safety principles that improve patient outcomes based on current evidence. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 271: Nursing Enhancement in Special Topics: Pathophysiology (3 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This course enhances student understanding of basic pathophysiology concepts through the lens of alterations in body functions, using a conceptual approach. It provides basic knowledge of pathophysiologic processes, disease risk factors, and physical manifestations in related body systems—integrating genetic, developmental, cultural, and environmental influences. The course emphasizes active student learning and application to real-life clinical scenarios, allowing students to gain valuable insight into disease processes.
BSN 280: Interprofessional Education and Practice (1 credit)
Catalog Course Description
This course is intended for nursing students and students from other health disciplines. Students will be introduced to the philosophy of and learn necessary skills for interprofessional practice. The course is taught through short seminars and case-studies on health topics where interprofessional collaboration is critical. The aim of this course is to prepare future healthcare professionals to provide team-based health promotion and care with the common goal of building a safer and better patient-centered and community/population-oriented health system. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
BSN 290: Evidence-Based Nursing Practice / Capstone Project (5 credits)
Catalog Course Description
This experiential course focuses on preparing students towards their transition to professional nursing practice. The course uses capstone project as a means to help BSN students to transition to full professional roles as compared to their semi-professional functions. The capstone project requires students to synthesize knowledge and utilize evidence to solve clinical problems such as patient and family centered care, team work and collaboration, evidence-based practice and evidence-based management, quality and performance improvement, patient safety, work environment, and revising and creating practice policies. Students will organize into groups, develop a capstone project, and a formal presentation to share with students, faculty, and invited guests. Pre-requisite: Senior standing*.
*Senior standing indicates the completion of first-year BSN courses including BSN 101, BSN 201, BSN 202, and BSN 204.
BSN 010: Bridge Course I – Nursing Skills I (0 credits)
This course is designed to enhance basic nursing skills. It will serve as an introductory course to describe and review latest evidence in practice of basic nursing skills. During this course, students will build on their work experience. It is a course which will upgrade current nursing practices to the latest evidence based approaches in patient care. The core concepts of the course include basic patient care safety and standards of care principles. It will include review of basic nursing skills in taking vital signs, implementing infection control measures, initiating IV therapy, and safe administration of medications in its various routes. The course will include a hands on practice component.
BSN 020: Bridge Course II – Nursing Skills II (0 credits)
This course builds on the Bridge I course to further enhance clinical nursing skills. Students will learn evidence-based approaches and clinical care guidelines in assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementing, and evaluating patient care processes. The course emphasizes the role of the BSN nurse in providing safe and competent nursing care to patients using clinical judgment. Examples of core nursing skills covered will include expanding on abnormal health assessment findings as per systems, safe medication administration and dosage calculation, and essential nursing care treatments. The course will include a hands on practice component.