Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

This course has been changed from the previous catalog, the changed field(s) are highlighted in red:

 Course Title:   Nursing Fundamentals-Skills & Pract:D (lab)

 Title Abbreviation:   FUND/NURSNG PRACTICUM: D

 Department:    NURS

 Course #:    173

 Credits:    3

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    4.5

 CIP:    513801

 EPC:    RND

 REV:    2018


 Course Description  

Introduction to the Associate Degree in Nursing. Includes the foundation needed for basic nursing practice and more advanced study. Concepts of person, health, environment, and nursing will be introduced. The nursing process is presented as the primary mechanism for providing care. Therapeutic communication techniques are studied as well as basic knowledge in pharmacology. Components of a complete multi-dimensional health assessment are presented. Focuses on the well individual and normal physiologic functioning including introductory review of basic alterations in health. Additional concepts basic to nursing practice are addressed including the Art of Nursing, safety, nutrition, lifespan, health teaching, culture, leadership, and ethical/legal aspects of practice. Encompasses the fundamental skills of nursing practice.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: CHEM& 121, BIOL& 160 or 211, BIOL& 260, BIOL& 241, BIOL& 242, ENGL& 101, MATH& 146, PSYC& 100 and 200 and NUTR& 101. Overall grade point average of 3.0 (B) for science prerequisites and overall 3.0 GPA (B) required for all NURS 171-173 prerequisite courses; AHA Healthcare Provider card, and current immunization status required.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 0

Lab: 66

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Vocational Preparatory Required for ATA degree  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
N/A

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Relate nursing and the health care environment to the healthcare delivery system, nursing planning and evidence based practice.
  2. Application of critical thinking in nursing practice utilizing the nursing process.
  3. Identification of professional standards in nursing practice to include communication, documentation, patient education and legal and ethical principles.
  4. Identify concepts of health, wellness, culture and ethnicity to caring throughout the lifespan.
  5. Articulate the foundation for nursing practice to include patient safety, infection control, and health assessment.
  6. Explain basic principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and safe medication administration.
  7. Describe the physiological basis for nursing practice with a focus on alterations in body systems, fluid and electrolyte status and acid-base balance.
  8. Examine the psychosocial basis for nursing practice to include self-concept, issues of sexuality and gender identification.
  9. Review grief, stress and coping across the lifespan.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.5 Recognize, comprehend, and use non-verbal behaviors appropriate to a given context.

Course Contents

  1. Nursing and the healthcare environment.
    • Introduction to nursing practice: Health care delivery system. Nurse care planning: theory and evidence based practice.
  2. Critical thinking in nursing practice.
    • Nursing process and assessment: Physical, mental and nutritional. Skin integrity and wound care.
  3. Professional standards in nursing practice.
    • Communication. Documentation and informatics.
    • Patient education. Legal and ethical principles.
  4. Caring throughout the lifespan.
    • Health and wellness: health/illness continuum, culture & ethnicity. Development across the lifespan: Basic human needs.
  5. Foundation for nursing practice.
    • Patient safety, workforce body mechanics. Infection prevention and control.
    • Health assessment and physical examination. Pharmacology.
    • Medication administration.
  6. Physiological basis for nursing practice.
    • Hygiene. Urinary and bowel elimination.
    • Fluid, electrolytes and acid-base balance.
  7. Psychosocial basis for nursing practice.
    • Self-concept. Sexuality and gender identification.
    • Grief, stress and coping across the lifespan.