Course Descriptions (RN to BS)

RN to BS Program

COURSES IN THE UPPER DIVISION BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

NURSING

NURSING THEORY (NUR 315)*

3 credits: This course is an introduction to theory and reasoning in nursing. The student will analyze various theoretical nursing frameworks, and explore the application of these theories to both clinical nursing practice and nursing research. Concepts of person, health, nursing and environment will be explored from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Students consider how these concepts are reflected in their own nursing practice.
Lecture and online discussion: 3 hours per week. Prerequisites: None

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO NURSING (NUR 325)*

3 credits: This course is designed to provide the student with an introduction to the integration of nursing science, computer technology, and information science to identify, gather, process, and manage information. Nurses will learn how to access, manage, and apply data to patient care. Current trends and issues in using, designing, and managing heath care information systems will be examined. The course includes e-mail, electronic discussion forums, computer applications, worldwide web, and Internet assignments..
Lecture and online discussion: 3 hours per week. Prerequisites: None

NURSING RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (NUR 336)*

3 credits: The focus of this course is the identification of key concepts, processes and applications of qualitative and quantitative clinical research to support evidence based nursing practice. Differentiating among the steps of the research process, accessing and critiquing pertinent literature and designing a research study are activities utilized to foster student learning. Additional topics include ethical and legal aspects associated with research. Lecture and online discussion: 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites or Corequisites: Social Science Statistics (SS 306), Information Technology Applied to Nursing (NUR 325), Nursing Theory (NUR 315)

TRANSCULTURAL NURSING AND NURSE AS EDUCATOR (NUR 337)*

3 credits: This course focuses on the theoretical foundations for understanding cultural diversity, and the impact of culture on health and illness beliefs, values, and practices that impact the health of individuals and groups. It also prepares students for their future roles in client teaching, health education, health promotion, by addressing the developmental, motivational, and sociocultural differences that affect teaching and learning. In this course students use community resources to gain experience in gathering culturally relevant data to assess individuals from a variety of socio-cultural backgrounds, and develop strategies for providing culturally competent nursing care. They will examine issues through a variety of academic experiences including reflecting on their own learning experiences, and identifying their own attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors with respect to teaching and learning.
Lecture and online discussion: 3 hours per week Prerequisites: Anthropology of Health and Healing (ANTH 205)

HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT (NUR 347)

3 credits: This course emphasizes skills that will enable the student to determine the mental, physical, nutritional health status of an individual by obtaining a health history and performing and recording a mental, physical, nutritional, and environmental assessment. Learning experiences are organized to provide opportunities for gaining knowledge and practicing assessment skills.
Lecture and Nursing Arts Lab practice: 3 hours per week Prerequisite or Corequisite: Pathophysiology (SCI 326)

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN URBAN COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING (NUR 418)*

6 credits: This course focuses on the impact of the environment on the health of individuals, families, and communities in urban settings. The role of the professional nurse providing appropriate interventions for clients impacted by the environment will be emphasized. Course content includes identifying environmental toxins, their consequences on health, and safe alternatives. The role of the registered nurse and disaster preparedness is presented by providing instruction in basic nurse disaster competencies. This course also addresses legislation, governmental policies, current research, and the environmental health assessment of individuals and communities. .
Lecture: 4 hours per week. Clinical: 6 hours per week Prerequisites: Transcultural Nursing (NUR 337), Pathophysiology (SCI 326)

LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY (NUR 429)*

5 credits: In this course students synthesize previous learning, and develop knowledge and skills relevant to leadership, management, and the role of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse. It focuses on interactions within the health care team, and acquaints students with management theories, organizational behavior theories and leadership styles that are relevant to nursing practice. Students will be expected to synthesize and analyze situations that occur within health care settings, and to formulate possible strategies for effecting positive change. This course will assist students in gaining increased understanding of leadership techniques and principles, and allow them to gather insight about their individual resources for managing change. .
Lecture: 3 hours per week, Clinical: 6 hours per week.
Prerequisite: Environmental Issues in Urban Community Health Nursing (NUR 418)

CAPSTONE PROJECT (INDEPENDENT STUDY) (NUR 439)

4 credits. This course enables the student to develop an in-depth independent project that uses his/her understanding of an urban environmental issue. The student will use this opportunity to synthesize previous course content and major concepts of the curriculum in a project, which develops a practical solution. The capstone project focuses on independent investigation using critical thinking, the research process, and evidenced based information to present a written paper, and public presentation. .
Lecture: 4 hours per week (including class and online discussion)
Prerequisite: Course must be completed in the student’s final semester

LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCE

ANTHROPOLOGY OF HEALTH AND HEALING (ANTH 205)*

3 credits: In this course, health and illness will be studied as an interrelationship of biology, ecology, and culture in past and contemporary societies in Euro-American and non-Western cultures. Students will examine a variety of healing traditions and practices, and investigate the connection between healing, and culture.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisites: None

CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH (SPAN 207)*

3 credits: In this course, students practice basic Spanish grammar, idioms, and vocabulary by focusing on listening and speaking skills. Students discuss social and cultural topics, and are provided with an increased awareness of the Spanish-speaking cultures of the Americas. Upon completion, students will be able to participate in conversations in Spanish on everyday topics.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisites: None

HEALTH POLICY (SS 419)*

3 credits: This course introduces the student to the organization, delivery, and financing of the U.S. health care system. Students will learn about U.S. health care policy, including analysis of the political, cultural and economic forces that influence the development of health policy and healthcare. Discussions will include health care costs and financing, public health, health care quality, Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care. The course will highlight current problems and opportunities for patients, caregivers, purchasers (government and business) and insurers of health care as they seek to operate within the current U.S. health system.
Lecture and online discussion: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 316)

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (PHIL 316)*

3 credits: This course provides an introduction to western philosophical thought. Students are introduced to the major philosophers, periods, and ideas of western philosophy through reading and discussion of seminal texts. Students learn the foundations of logic and practice constructing logical arguments. Ideas of reality, existence, god, morality, reason, ethics, beauty and government will be explored within each of the periods (ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary). Brief non-western philosophical texts pertaining to ideas or written during the same period as the main texts under study will be introduced in class to provide for inter-cultural dialogue, contextualization, and reflection.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: None

MAJOR TOPICS IN AMERICAN HISTORY (HIS 218)

3 credits: This course provides an introduction to American History (1600 – present). Students are introduced to major events and differing interpretation of these events by historians. Students critically study the nature and use of primary sources as the basis for historical reconstruction of the past.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: None

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (SCI 326)

3 credits: This course focuses on the major concepts of pathophysiology; the study of the biological and physical manifestations of diseases as they correlate with underlying abnormal and physiologic disturbances. Students will examine phenomena that produce alterations in normal human functioning processes (homeostasis) caused by diseases and the resulting adaptation to disease processes. The major emphasis will be on the physiological factors – both physical and biochemical – that underlie disease states. The course will also focus on the incidence, etiology, courses and clinical manifestations of the local and systemic body responses, which reflect a disease process. The impact of environmental health influences in an urban setting will be discussed. Students will learn how to identify both local and systemic reactions within the body that result in the signs and symptoms of diseases, as well as understand the rationale for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in disease conditions.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: Selected Topics in Physical Science (SCI 305) Corequisite: Holistic Assessment (NUR 347)

SELECTED TOPICS IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE/BIOCHEMISTRY (SCI 305)

4 credits: This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to physics. In order to give them a solid foundation, students review principles of organic chemistry and biochemistry during the first three weeks of the semester. They are then introduced to physics: the study of how objects behave. Topics will include mechanics and the characteristics of substances, sound, electricity, vector forces, motions, and magnetism, and radiation.
Lecture: 4 hours per week Prerequisite: None

SOCIAL SCIENCE STATISTICS (SS 306)

4 credits: Statistics is the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. This course introduces the basics of social statistics – techniques that social scientists use to summarize numeric data obtained from censuses, surveys, and experiments. The topics include frequency distribution, central tendency, variability, probability theory, and estimation. The student will also learn how to test hypotheses for group differences in means (z test, t test) and for association between two variables (correlation, chi-square test). This course will also allow the student to become more adept at reading and understanding research articles and thinking critically about social issues.
Lecture: 4 hours per week Prerequisite: None.

SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION, AND ETHICS (PHIL 318)*

3 credits: Students will examine the domains of health: physical, mental, social, and spiritual; explore the impact of religion, spirituality and ethics within the health care delivery setting; and the role of the health care provider in addressing this aspect of care. The course will focus on the developmental theories associated with spirituality/spiritual development across the life span; the spiritual dimension of health care practice (spiritual need, spiritual distress, spiritual care, and spiritual wellbeing); and the ethical dilemma in providing such care. Some of the topics that will be discussed include religion, bioethics, genetic testing and counseling, suicide/euthanasia, abortion, reproductive technologies, human experimentation, and organ transplants. Students will be expected to assess behaviors in the health care delivery system that point to spiritual need, spiritual distress, or spiritual well-being, and acquire the knowledge and skill to provide spiritual care, without imposing their own values.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 316)

TWENTIETH CENTURY WORLD HISTORY (HIS 217)

3 credits This course provides an introduction to Twentieth Century world history. Students are introduced to major events and differing interpretations of those events by historians. Students study the nature and use of primary sources as the basis for historical reconstruction of the past.
Lecture: 3 hours per week Prerequisite: None.

*Hybrid course (Classroom and online instruction/discussion)

ABOUT ONLINE EDUCATION

Online education allows students to take nursing courses regardless of their schedule or where they live. Helene Fuld College is committed to using educational technology effectively in order to enrich student learning and enhance teaching. Hybrid classes start and finish according to the baccalaureate academic calendar. All hybrid courses are asynchronous, but faculty may include OPTIONAL synchronous elements to their courses. These classes have reading assignments and regular deadlines, and students receive ongoing feedback from faculty. Students work together online to achieve learning goals and to solve problems.

The online format allows us to create, in collaboration with our students, a dynamic and engaging virtual community of learners. Students are able to communicate with their peers and faculty in a variety of unique ways. Through our online management systems, which we communicate with students, distribute information, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and resources. To be successful in online coursework, you must have basic computer skills, including the ability to: send and receive e-mail; attach, send and open documents from e-mail or Internet sites. Instruction for online/hybrid courses will enable you to: participate in online chats; research topics using Web resources; use Internet library databases. Having the appropriate ISP (Internet connection) and computer requirements are important considerations for students as the two items influence students’ experience with their online course. Preferably, students should consider having a DSL or Cable Internet connection. A Dial-up connection can be used, but students will experience slower access, and download and upload speeds for course materials. Students taking online courses should have a computer that meets the Suggested System Capabilities, which will enhance the student’s ability to access and use online course materials.

Suggested System Capabilities for Students and Faculty

PC Systems with at least 1.5 GHz processor
4 GB RAM or more
400GB or larger hard drive
DVD/CD-RW drive
17 in. color monitor (1024 x 768 resolution)
Sound card, speakers, headphones
Printer
Scanner
Cable or DSL broadband connection
Operating System: Windows 7 Pro or Home or later
Microsoft Office 2007 or later

Apple Systems with at least 1.5 GHz processor

4 GB RAM or more
400GB or larger hard drive
DVD/CD-RW drive
17 in. color monitor (1024 x 768 resolution)
Sound card, speakers, headphones
Printer
Scanner
Cable or DSL broadband connection
Mac OSX (capable of running OS 9 apps)
Microsoft Office for Mac.

Optional Equipment

Microphone
Web cam

Course Descriptions (RN to BS)