Course Descriptions

Courses numbered 1000-1999 are open to freshmen; 2000-2999 to sophomores; 3000-3999 to juniors; 4000-4999 to seniors. It is recommended that students elect courses in the years for which they are listed. Freshmen will be admitted to courses above the 2000 level only with the consent of the instructor and the student’s advisor. Juniors and seniors taking freshman courses may be expected to do additional work. Any course above 4999 is a graduate course.

NOTE:
The number in parentheses following the course title indicates the semester hours of credit assigned to the course.
An H following the course number indicates an honors level course.

RNBS 3100
Introduction to Baccalaureate Nursing Practice [Course] (3)
This course will introduce the student to caring theory, reflective practice, and whole person nursing practice. Students will learn about nursing history, contemporary issues impacting nursing and health care today, person well-being, lifelong learning, professional values, and communication in professional nursing practice. Interprofessional collaborative practice is introduced in this course.

RNBS 3250
Health Assessment [Course] (3)
This course will introduce the student to comprehensive assessment of individuals within a holistic framework. Students will utilize the nursing history and physical examination as well as developmental, sexual, mental, cultural, and spiritual assessment. Basic skills of inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation will be learned or reviewed. Modification of comprehensive assessment for specific age will be explored. Students will consider their development from a novice to an expert nurse and examine the development of nursing diagnosis and contemporary methods of applying nursing process through managed care. Several theoretical frameworks will be introduced as the student considers his/her personal philosophy of nursing. This course will include laboratory activities in addition to the online group work.

RNBS 3300
Quality and Safety in Nursing Practice [Course] (3)
This course prepares nurses to engage in quality and safety initiatives in healthcare and practice settings. Students use knowledge from biological sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, and humanities to develop skill in improving the quality and safety in health care delivery, ultimately improving health care outcomes for diverse individuals, groups and communities with consideration given to healthcare disparities. Students will learn the value of systems thinking with a focus on teamwork and collaboration, quality improvement, safety, healthcare standards, and informatics for improving outcomes in health care settings. Students will complete 16 hours of clinical practice experience. A quality improvement project will be identified during this course as the foundation for the capstone project.

RNBS 3400
Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing [Course] (3)
This course provides a foundational overview of evidence-based practice and the critical appraisal of best evidence literature. The course is designed to teach evidence-based practice skills that will enable the RN-BS student to conduct evaluations of existing literature related to improving care. Students learn to formulate clinical questions in an answerable format, search for and identify best evidence, and appraise that evidence for rigor and applicability to a practice problem. Basic principles of scientific inquiry, quantitative and qualitative research methods, research ethics, and protection of human subjects are introduced. Students will complete an eight-hour practice experience. The course will culminate with a review of the literature to support a quality improvement initiative as a foundation for the capstone project.

RNBS 4200
Clinical Judgement & Decision Making [Course] (3)
This course reinforces the pathophysiology of disease processes and pharmacological therapies. The course focuses on the physiological changes, clinical manifestations, and pharmacological therapies used to affect the disease process. The course integrates anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and pharmacology to provide a basis for study of diseases and pharmacotherapeutic agents with a focus on the application to clinical practice regarding medication administration and safety. This course focuses on medications that are used in the care of individuals experiencing alterations in mobility, elimination, oxygenation, immunity, and metabolic systems.

RNBS 4300
Emerging Trends in Nursing Leadership [Course] (3)
This course will prepare nursing students with knowledge and skills to lead and manage care in a variety of healthcare settings. An exploration of leadership theories, leader influence, team building, emotional intelligence, ethics, and healthy work culture are included. The student will acquire multiple leadership skills such as decision making, delegation, conflict resolution, advocacy, performance appraisals and managing budgets. The impact of healthcare policy and politics on health care is explored and discussed. Students participate in a total of 16 hours of leadership practice experience and develop a plan for leading a practice change project in the practice setting.

RNBS 4400
Population Health [Course/Clinical] (3)
Population Health is an eight-week time-shortened course with 2.5 credits of classroom learning, and 0.5 credits for clinical learning. Population health includes community and public health nursing and all facets there within. Community and public health nursing differ from acute-care settings in care and in both philosophy and scope. In this course, students will focus on the role of the Baccalaureate-prepared nurse in community and public health settings. Epidemiology and its application to community health will be examined and explored. There will be opportunity to learn about families in the community/public health settings. Opportunity is built into the course to enhance knowledge as the student applies the principles learned in class through self-study, community-based RN assessments, and the discovery of community agencies or resources within the community.

RNBS 4550
Capstone Experience [Course/Clinical] (3)
Students will complete 45 hours of clinical practice experience. During this experience, students will synthesize the knowledge and competencies gained in the program to implement and evaluate an improvement project specific to a practice setting using an evidence-based approach. The course will culminate in a scholarly presentation and portfolio to demonstrate the student’s ability to use evidence-based practice, performance improvement principles and leadership skills to effectively manage change in a healthcare environment.

RNBS 4900
Transcultural Experience [Trip] (1 - 3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the culture, health care needs, and the health care system of a developing country. Students will have the opportunity to compare missionary nursing with community health and institutional nursing in the United States. Making use of available resources, students develop learning objectives with guidance from the instructor. The course encourages personal and spiritual growth through integration of faith and learning. Students wishing to receive college credit will do collateral reading, write journals or papers, and attend preparatory classes held during the semester. Meets the requirement for Nursing elective.

RNBS 4950
Independent Study [Independent Study] (1 - 3)
Independent study provides opportunity to pursue advanced or special-interest topics not covered in the curriculum. Permission from the student's advisor, the course instructor, the Department Chair, the Academic Dean, and the Registrar.