Master of Science in Nursing Course Description at Florida Southern College
NUR 301 HUMAN NUTRITION
Three hours. Prerequisite: Nursing majors only. Students are prepared to apply fundamental principles of human nutrition in the selection of a healthy diet across the lifespan. The impact of nutrition upon health, illness and healing, cultural and global issues, and health care practice are examined.
NUR 304 CONCEPTS & ISSUES IN NURSING
Three hours. Prerequisite: Nursing majors only. In this theory-based course students are introduced to concepts and issues in professional nursing practice, including professional values, interdisciplinary communication, and the role of the professional registered nurse as manager of care for culturally diverse patients, families and groups across the lifespan. The focus is on a commitment to quality care delivery, integrity and accountability in varied settings.
NUR 305 PHARMACOLOGY
Three hours. Prerequisites: BIO 209, BIO 210, BIO 227 and nursing majors only. . This course presents current concepts of pharmacology including basic principles of drug action, interaction, and adverse effects. Routes of administration and dosage calculations are discussed. Content will be presented using a structured, systematic approach to body systems and drug classifications. Legal, cultural and life span considerations will be included as they apply to the nurse’s role in drug therapy.
NUR 307 CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING
Three hours. This course introduces the student to the rationale and values inherent in a baccalaureate education in nursing. It enables the student to explore professional nursing practice, philosophical perspectives of nursing, legal and ethical issues relevant to practice and the changing practice environment. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 310 NURSING FUNDAMENTALS
Four hours. Prerequisites: BIO 209, BIO 210, BIO 227, PSY 209 and nursing majors only. Students are introduced to the scientific basis for nursing practice and the safe care of patients with diverse needs. Nursing skills are simulated and practiced in the clinical skills laboratory prior to performing in the clinical setting. Emphasis is on the promotion of the health, function and wellness of individuals, families and groups across the lifespan.
NUR 312* PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307. This course is designed to advance the interpersonal and professional communication skills of the registered nurse. Content includes principles and theories of communication, and skills for effective conflict resolution, teaching, therapeutic, and transcultural communication. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 316 THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307 or admission to the undergraduate BSN program. This course offers a study of theories and frameworks for the practice of professional nursing.
NUR 330 ADULT HEALTH NURSING I
Six hours. Prerequisites: NUR 301, NUR 304, NUR 305, NUR 310, SPC 214. Concepts from behavioral, biological and natural sciences are integrated as knowledge of physical and psychological symptoms related to disease and treatment is advanced. In the clinical area, emphasis is placed on health teaching and the safe implementation of therapeutic nursing interventions for adults who are experiencing acute alterations in health. Nursing students apply current evidence in practice and begin to evaluate nursing care outcomes as care is directed toward promoting, maintaining and restoring health or providing end-of-life care for culturally diverse patients in various settings.
NUR 346 PROFESSIONAL ROLE DEVELOPMENT
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307. This course directs the student to examine his or her personal development within the profession of nursing. It encourages and assists the student to develop leadership skills and refine life management skills. Legal, ethical, and advocacy issues in nursing and health care are explored and discussed. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 356 TECHNIQUES FOR HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307 or admission to the undergraduate BSN program. This course prepares the student to accurately collect and document data required for a basic health assessment of patients across the life span.
NUR 401 MATERNAL/CHILD NURSING
Five hours. Prerequisite: NUR 330. Nursing concepts are presented related to the delivery of nursing care for the childbearing/ childrearing family and children from infancy through adolescence. Principles of growth and development are applied as the student provides health teaching and nursing care directed toward promoting, maintaining, and restoring health or providing end-of-life care that respects cultural and ethnic beliefs for women, infants, and children.
NUR 412+ ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Three hours. Prerequisites: NUR 307 and NUR 356. This course is designed to apply holistic health assessment techniques in the collection and integration of the six dimensions of health for patients with complex health problems across the life span. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 417 PROFESSIONAL INQUIRY
Three hours. Prerequisites: NUR 307 or admission to the undergraduate BSN program, and NUR 316. This course provides students with opportunities to understand general principles and concepts of the research process in order to integrate research into professional nursing practice.
NUR 420 COMMUNITY HEALTH/MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
Five hours. Prerequisite: NUR 330. Students apply knowledge of concepts, theories, and practice from nursing and public health sciences to assess and analyze the health status of culturally diverse, at-risk groups of vulnerable populations. Mental illness and current issues and therapies for persons with chronic mental illness will be examined. Students will assess physical, social, and cultural environments, identify populations at risk, and implement and evaluate appropriate nursing interventions in partnership with community and health agencies.
NUR 426 HEALTH PROMOTION AND WELLNESS
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307. This course prepares the student to apply health promotion and wellness strategies to the care of individuals, families, aggregates and communities. Content includes health promotion, health maintenance and health education. The student will explore personal health promotion strategies. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 446 HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION
Three hours. Prerequisite: NUR 307. This course prepares the student to apply concepts of health maintenance and restoration to the care of individuals, families and aggregates. The primary focus of this course is vulnerable populations in the community setting, including persons with chronic illnesses. RN-to-BSN Program only.
NUR 466 CARE OF OLDER ADULTS
Four hours. Prerequisite: NUR 330. In this course the student has the opportunity to differentiate
normal aging from abnormal processes and conditions and to develop nursing interventions that are unique to the specific needs of the elder. Social, ethical, financial and practical issues facing the older adult, frail elder, and caregiver are presented.
NUR 480 PROFESSIONAL SOCIALIZATION
Four hours. Prerequisite: All nursing courses. Corequisite: NUR 490. In this course the student
examines his or her personal development as a professional registered nurse and identifies goals for professional development. Leadership skills and life management skills are refined. Political, legal, and advocacy issues in nursing and health care are examined.
NUR 490 ADULT HEALTH NURSING II
Six hours. Prerequisite: All nursing courses. Corequisite: NUR 480. Adult Health Nursing II is the capstone course for the nursing student’s clinical experience. The course will build on previously learned material and will concentrate on the emergent needs of patients with co-morbidities, critical illnesses and multisystem failure. The course will include a practicum that integrates seminars that explore and examine the various roles of the entry level nurse and serves to initiate the process of transition from student nurse to graduate nurse.
NUR 499+ PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE
Six hours. Prerequisite: All prior nursing courses. This course allows the student to develop and initiate a plan of care for aggregates in the community. The plan will include concepts discussed throughout the curriculum. The student will practice roles of provider of care, designer/manager/ coordinator of care and member of a profession. RN-to-BSN Program only.
Graduate courses
NUR 515 PHARMACOLOGY
Three hours. In this course the student analyzes the principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutics of drugs commonly used in the management of acute and chronic illnesses of the adult. Emphasis is on therapeutic decision-making in drug selection and monitoring therapeutic response for culturally diverse patients. Patient education, legal, ethical, and economic issues are addressed.
NUR 520 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND ASSESSMENT
Three hours. Prerequisite: an undergraduate health assessment course. A systematic examination of disease is used to examine underlying disease mechanisms and patient findings. Underlying physiology and assessment skills are presented conjointly. The advanced practice nursing students will compare and contrast differential diagnosis within physiological systems of sub-cellular, cellular, biochemical, and anatomical changes across the life span.
NUR 525 NURSING THEORY AND RESEARCH
Three hours. Prerequisite: undergraduate research methods. Prerequisite or corequisite: MAT 510. This course will prepare the graduate student to identify researchable problems within the clinical setting, critique theoretical models, analyze practice outcomes, and design viable research projects to generate and apply new knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative research designs will be addressed. Ethical and legal issues of nursing research will be integrated throughout the course of study.
NUR 530 ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE AS EDUCATOR
Three hours. This is an overview course that introduces teaching-learning theories, principles of curriculum and course development, and varied teaching strategies. The focus is on preparing the advanced practice nurse for a role in higher education or peer education.
NUR 535 HEALTH CARE POLICY AND POLITICS
Three hours. The student will gain an understanding of health care policy, health care finance and the organization of health care delivery services. Emphasis is placed on the role of the advanced practice nurse in the policy making process and the impact of health policy, finance and organization on advanced nursing practice, consumers’ health and consumers’ health care options.
NUR 605 CURRICULUM DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Three hours. Pre-requisite: NUR 530. Required elements of course and curricula design and program outcome assessment are presented, along with roles of faculty and administrators in these processes. Classroom teaching technologies are introduced.
NUR 610 ADULT HEALTH I: ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE IN THE ACUTE CARE
SETTING
Five hours. Prerequisite or corequisite: NUR 515, NUR 520. The student will function in the role of advanced practice nurse in the acute care setting. Content will focus on attaining competencies in Clinical Nurse Specialist practice and other advanced practice nursing roles. The focus is on assessment skills and evidence-based care of the patient with a complex illness. This course includes twelve (12) hours of clinical practice per week (168 hours total) and a seminar.
NUR 615 ADULT HEALTH II: ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE IN THE COMMUNITY
SETTING
Five hours. Prerequisite or corequisite: NUR 530 or NUR 535. The student will function in the role of advanced practice nurse in the community setting. Content will focus on attaining competencies in Clinical Nurse Specialist practice roles. The focus is on the management of the healthcare needs of selected populations incorporating the principles of prioritization, community collaboration, program design, and outcomes measurement. Principles of cost-effective patient outcomes and evidence-based practice will be stressed. This course includes twelve (12) hours of clinical practice per week (168 hours total) and a seminar.
NUR 620 ADULT HEALTH III: SPECIALTY PRACTICE ROLE
Five hours. Prerequisites: NUR 610, NUR 615. The student will develop expertise in at least one of the spheres of influence of the CNS: Patient/Client, Nurses and Nursing Practice and Organization/System. The focus of this capstone clinical experience must pertain to adult health nursing practice. This course includes twelve (12) hours of clinical practice per week (168 hours total) and a seminar.
NUR 622 RESEARCH SEMINAR
Three hours. Prerequisite or corequisite: NUR 525, MAT 510. The research seminar provides the student with the opportunity to be mentored in the conduct of an individual research project. In lieu of a letter grade, the student is awarded a grade of pass/fail.
NUR 625 RESEARCH HOURS
One to four credit hours (variable). Prerequisite: NUR 622. Independent research hours provide the student the opportunity to be mentored in the pursuit of an individual research project. Prior to registering, the student must arrange for the supervision of the research with a nursing faculty member. In lieu of a letter grade, the student is awarded the grade of Pass/Fail for research credit hours.
NUR 630 NURSE EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE
Five hours. Prerequisite: NUR 530, NUR 605. The student will engage in classroom and clinical teaching experiences in an academic or institutional setting and must complete a scholarly project. A minimum of 125 hours of supervised practice in an educational setting is required.
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