Fundamentals of Nursing

Catalog description

This course provides a foundation for the nursing program. It introduces the student to the history and practice of nursing, including the standards of nursing practice. This course will introduce the student to different cultures and how their beliefs affect health beliefs and behavior which impacts nursing care. The student is introduced to the ethical and legal principles involving nursing practice. This course will review the nurse's role as a teacher, counselor and leader. Basic skills such as vital signs and interpretation thereof, asepsis and infection control will be introduced and discussed. The nursing process is introduced and used as an approach to nursing care with emphasis on assessment of basic human needs relating to oxygenation, nutrition, elimination, comfort and safety, security, and mobility. Critical thinking as embodied in the nursing process is emphasized and the concept of the nurse as provider of care, manager of care and member of the nursing profession is incorporated into the course content. Theoretical knowledge and principles are integrated and applied in the skills laboratory and clinical setting. Normal functional health patterns are explored in the context of the physical, biological and social sciences.