ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Catalog description

This course is designed to present an orientation to disease as disordered physiology. It is intended to enable master nurses to understand how and why the symptoms and signs of various conditions appear. In approaching disease as disordered physiology, this course analyzes the mechanisms of production of the symptoms and signs of different disease syndromes from a system’s approach. In doing so, it recognizes the student’s and practitioner’s need to understand the mechanisms underlying the disease and its clinical manifestations so that rational therapies can be devised. Thus, appropriate screening and diagnostic laboratory evaluative method will also be included as they relate to nursing interventions. Emphasis is placed on clinical decision making that utilizes a complete data base consisting of physical, psychosocial and environmental findings. Case studies are used throughout the course to refine d iagnostic and treatment skills in the population across the life span (children, adult, adult-gero.